Oh My Darling Valentine
by Darkened-Angel18
Summary: A set of OneShots for Valentine's Day. If you have any particular pairing you'd like to see, let me know!
1. SoulSilverShipping

_The Only Exception_

_Bitterness. Arguments. Tears. Pain. _It was all Silver Rocket witnessed growing up. It wasn't uncommon to walk home from school to see his father screaming at his mother, throwing glasses at her. It was even less uncommon to hear her stifled tears as she put him to bed.  
>"Why?" Silver asked one night, tracing the latest bruises with his little finger. He didn't know why his father hated his mother so much. Why he hated <em>him<em> so much. It confused his young mind.  
>"Love," she replied wearily, removing his finger and crossing her arms. "Would you like to hear The Ugly Spearow or Snow White tonight?"<br>"The Ugly Spearow," he sighed, unsatisfied with that answer and that tale. He only let her read to him because she loved to. "Mom?" she froze from pulling the book out of his small bookshelf. "Can I say goodnight to dad?"  
>"That wouldn't be wise, sweetheart. He's working," she said faintly, licking her lips. It was obvious to eight year old Silver how much those words pained her.<br>"Please." He didn't ask often. Contempt had replaced any real love he felt for that man.  
>"Fine..." she watched him squirm out of bed and bowed her head. "Be careful, darling." Ignoring her, he slowly walked down the stairs to the kitchen.<br>"Giovanni?" he asked, looking around. "_Dad?_" a shout from outside sent the boy racing for the door. The older man stood on the porch, head raised as he cursed to the wind. Transfixed, Silver watched him square his shoulders and walk away from the house. A suitcase was in his hand.  
><em>He's leaving,<em> Silver realized, fury building up in his chest as he ran. He shouted his name, but Giovanni never turned once.  
>"<em>Don't you love us?<em>" Silver screamed at one point.

* * *

><p><em>And that was the day that I promised<br>I'd never sing of love if it **does not exist**_

* * *

><p>He'd left home two years after. He'd rejected his mother, his friends, even his mother's Meowth- any form of love.<br>"Silver, please," his mother begged, tears pouring from her face as she grabbed his arm. "Darling-"  
>"-I'm not your darling," he told her angrily, throwing her arm off. "So don't call me that."<br>"You're my son. Please," she begged again. Her brown eyes were filled with a pain that only infuriated him more. "Don't go..."  
>"I don't need you. I don't need him... I can do it BY MYSELF!" he swore, stomping away from the life he used to know.<p>

* * *

><p><em>And I've always lived like this<br>keeping a comfortable, distance  
>And up until now I had sworn to myself<br>that I'm content with loneliness  
>'cause none of it was ever worth the risk<em>

* * *

><p>"Leave me alone," he spat at his 'rival', shoving her away. "You're too weak. You're pathetic." She was obviously stung, but held her head high. Her smile stayed infuriatingly in place.<br>"Weak?" she asked in a tone that tried to make him smile too but failed. "Says the boy I've beaten _three_ times out of three." His eyes hardened.  
>"Flukes," he said, stepping towards her. "You're nothing but a fluke trainer. Your techniques are horrible. Your Pokémon suck. YOU in general suck."<br>"Silver," she sighed, smile dropping. "Your taunts suck."  
>"What did you say?" he asked, caught off guard momentarily.<br>"I said... you heard me," Lyra corrected herself, eyes glazing for a moment. "Your taunts suck because... where are you going?" she grabbed his arm as he turned from her, flinching under his returning glare. "Just hear me out, okay?"  
>"Why should I?" Silver tried to pry the firm hand off of his arm.<br>"Please?" she asked in a tiny voice. "I don't want to fight, Silver. I actually want to be friends..."  
>"I don't need friends," Silver said with a harsh laugh, "and I don't make friends with weaklings."<br>"Aren't you lonely by yourself?" for the second time that day, he'd been caught off guard by her. He froze and assessed that. "You are... Silver, you don't have to be alone. I _want_ to be your friend," she repeated earnestly. Her brown eyes were glowing as she smiled. "Can we try to be friends?"  
>"Firstly, don't make assumptions. Secondly...," he sighed, giving up. "I'm not going to get rid of you, am I?" she shook her head and laughed.<br>"No. You're special, Silver."

* * *

><p><em>I've got a tight grip on reality but I can't let go of what's in front of me here<br>I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up  
>Leave me with some kind of proof <em>_i__t's not a dream_

* * *

><p>"Silver-"<br>"-you're leaving. _Why?_" Silver snarled, glaring at his friend... was that what she was? Silver didn't even know anymore. He didn't want to believe it, but he cared deeply about her. He doubted the majority of his earlier words to his mother.  
><em>Love is painful, <em>he thought bitterly. _She's leaving too._  
>"I was invited to Kanto," Lyra explained, looking at the overturned suitcase.<br>"Why didn't you tell me?" Silver asked, hating himself for sounding pitiful. _Who's the weakling now?  
><em>"It was meant to be a surprise..." she crossed the room and sat next to him.  
>"Oh, yeah. <em>Great <em>surprise," Silver said sarcastically, moving away from her. "What's next? You're actually a man?"  
>"No. You're coming with me," she said, pulling out a second boat ticket and putting it into his lap.<br>"Save it," he replied, throwing back to her. "I'm not going."  
>"What if I begged?" she asked, following him. Hurt crossed her face. "Silver... I want you to come with me. Please think about it," she requested, staring into his face. "I'm not asking out of pity. I'm asking," she swallowed and spoke at a rapid pace, "out of feelings." Peace mingled with joy and uneasiness filled Silver.<br>"You're not screwing with me?" he asked. She shook her head and sat back down on her bed. He sat next to her.  
>"I love you," she stated, looking back into his eyes. Her hand hesitantly covered his. "Short notice and I know you don't believe in love, but-" –she was cut off as Silver's lips brushed hers.<br>"-I'm on my way to believing," he told her with a wry smile as they broke apart.

_You are The Only Exception  
>And I'm on my way to believing.<em>

* * *

><p><em><strong>Here's day one of a set of OneShots for Valentine's Day. If you'd like to see a particular pairing, fic andor song, let me know.**_


	2. BeaconShipping

_-Sparks- (BeaconShipping)  
>Requested by: Gloria Spark.<em>

"Come on, man. We only live once," pleaded the young man. His eyes widened pathetically, reminding his best friend of a Cubone. A vision of a Cubone with an afro spilling out of its helmet made Volkner smile in spite of himself. He could just see the colors clashing. "Is that a yes?" Flint asked hopefully, a broad smile crossing his own face.  
>"Maybe... alright," Volkner gave in, shaking his head as his friend whooped, pumped his fist into the air and danced around like a loon. "I'll go."<br>"Sweet. We have to RSVP soon, don't we?" Flint was hopeless when it came to remembering due dates. "I think it was... six thirty?" Volkner nodded.  
>"Yeah... are you taking Gardenia as your date?"<br>"Yeah," Flint said, smile fading from his face. Running a hand over his afro, he continued with, "Who are you taking? Cynthia?"  
>"Uh... no," Volkner replied, making a face. "I'm considering some people, but Cynthia isn't one of them." After a pause, a grin similar to that of the Cheshire Gengar appeared on Flint's face. While he was a clown, he wasn't oblivious to everything.<br>"_Some _people, huh? Who could that possibly be?" he asked, chuckling. He knelt in front of the blond and wagged his eyebrows. "Maybe... our current champion?"  
>"Maybe," Volkner said, trying to pass himself as evasive but failing as he began to smile.<br>"It _is_ our champion!" Flint crowed, clapping him on the shoulder. "Looks like we're set, then." Volkner's smile faded slightly, but this went unnoticed to the red head. "You better call her up. Why are you still here? Go," Flint scolded, shoving him towards the study. "Don't chicken out, bro. I'll ask Aaron to let the others know that we're going."  
>"I'm not," Volkner said flatly, eyes downcast as he turned on the computer. "I'm thinking..."<p>

* * *

><p>She'd impressed him since the first day he'd met her. Three and a half years had flown by since then but she'd never left his mind. If he closed his eyes, Volkner could see the light shining off of her dark blue hair, the serenity in her expression and those kind blue eyes that made him uneasy. Even a little unsure at times. She'd been two months shy of her fifteenth birthday when they'd first met at the lighthouse as opposed to his twenty years of age. Flint had literally run to get her for him, to find his friend that one last reason to stay in Sunyshore.<p>

He stood staring through the telescope, heart slightly heavy. If this challenger wasn't what Flint had made them out to be, he was off to the bigger pond.  
>"Um, hi," a shy voice said from behind him. Volkner's shoulders sagged and he withheld a sigh. Flint's mystery trainer was a young girl. "Are you Volkner?"<br>"I am," he told the telescope. "And you are?"  
>"Dawn." His eyes widened in surprise as he took that information in. Suddenly, the prospect of fighting a child didn't seem so bittersweet. He'd heard positive things from all of the gym leaders in Sinnoh regarding Dawn.<p>

_"Looks are truly deceiving, Volkner. I thought I could take her, but she took me- by surprise! Wa-ha-ha!"  
>"She's petite, yet full of power. The best women are in life, non?"<br>"That Dawn... she didn't get lucky by beating me. She's special. A real spark like yourself."_

Filled with renewed vigour, he turned to face her.  
>"So, you're the latest challenger up against Sunyshore gym," he remarked, assessing her. She wasn't as young as he'd first thought. While cloaked in a winter cloak, he could see signs of maturity on her frame.<br>"I am," she replied, standing steady under his gaze. Her eyes were determined as she looked up at him. "I'm here to get my badge... and to show you how fun battling can be." His eyebrows raised slightly. So Flint had told her of his intentions? Dawn must have impressed him.  
>"I see... alright," he declared, raising his voice so the other people in the Vista lighthouse could hear him, "I've decided. If I find you to be weak, I'm going to challenge the Pokémon league. I'm all done with renovating the gym so I don't need to be here." surprised murmurs echoed around the small room at this. Dawn continued to watch him, unsurprised. "More than anything," he continued, placing a hand on his belt, "I want to have battles that can thrill me again."<br>"I won't hold back," Dawn promised, smiling slightly. "We're going to give it all we've got." Volkner returned her smile, encouraged by her words.  
>"And so you should. As the toughest gym leader in Sinnoh, I'm going to unleash everything in my arsenal on you," he warned her.<br>"Bring it on," she laughed, tossing her head. "I've always loved a challenge."

* * *

><p>Their battle had been wonderful. For the first time in what felt like decades, Volkner had been pushed to his limits. He'd been pushed into corners by the younger girl.<br>"I've... lost," he breathed, staring down at his fainted Electivire with wide eyes. _The girl is impressive, _he thought.  
>"That was a good battle," Dawn acknowledged. She held out her hand and smiled. "Well done." Without looking away, he took her hand and shook it.<br>"I'll be awaiting our next battle," he laughed. "Expect to lose next time."  
>"How does tomorrow sound?" she asked playfully. "Who knows? You might win next time..."<br>"Tomorrow sounds great," he decided. "What time suits you?"

No matter how much she'd matured, she'd never lost her best feature- her small, smooth hands. The hands that would later electrify him with every touch. Before long, she'd spent a month in his company. That month was when the sparks began to fly between them; when friendship had begun to blossom... but had been over far too soon.

* * *

><p>"I'll be back before you know it," she promised, looking at him nervously. Volkner felt a tinge of regret for telling his new friend to go on to the league.<br>"I'll be waiting," he told her. Their Pokémon were silently assembled next to them, listening to every word. "You better be prepared..." sand swirled in the air around their ankles as a light breeze began on the beach.  
>"I will be."<br>"Good." A significant look passed between them as that word fell from his lips. A strange feeling began to lightly play in his stomach as he watched her brush her hair back.  
>"Dawn! Don't make me fine you," warned a loud voice from ahead. "We've gotta go! Hurry up!"<br>"Mood killer," Flint called to Barry. He was to stay with Volkner tonight for old time's sake. "Stop kicking at the sand. Are you a bird or something?"  
>"Bitch, please. Do I look like a bird to you? C'mon, Dawn," he whined, stamping his feet. "You're taking too long." Dawn's Infernape rolled its eyes, as did Dawn. "I'm gonna fine you, seriously..."<br>"Fine me, then," she retorted, eyes flashing as she turned to stare at him. Flint whistled dramatically. "I'm saying goodbye to my friend." Volkner took a small step forward and closed the gap between them as she turned around. She inhaled quickly in surprise but recovered. A blush mantled her cheeks as she looked at him.  
>"Take care, champ," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Victory Road isn't a breeze."<br>"I know. You take care too," she replied, placing her hand on his. Electricity, more pronounced now, fizzled between them.  
>"Hurry- ah!" Barry screamed as a splash echoed behind them. Dawn closed her eyes and sighed as Flint roared with laughter.<br>"Bar, you're insane," she called, staring behind her again. This time, Volkner joined her gaze. He chuckled and shook his head at the sight of the shocked blond lying in the water. He jumped up and shrugged in a non committed way.  
>"Nothing happened. Nothing to see here," he yelled, using his hands like a megaphone. "So don't stare, glasses. I can see you staring!"<br>"I better go," Dawn said quietly as Barry realized her words.  
>"That strange... hey! Did you just call me 'insane?' I'm not insane!" Barry claimed furiously.<br>"Bye, Dawn. I believe in you," Volkner said quietly, removing his hand from under hers and stepping away. "Bye, Barry," he added as Barry looked mortified.  
>"Yeah, yeah... bye." He returned to his Empoleon and sat on its back.<br>"Thanks... bye." she recalled her Pokémon and walked to the water's edge.

* * *

><p>He saw her occasionally now and things had changed between them. Would she still go with him?<br>"Volts," Flint said seriously, staring at him with piercing eyes, "she's eighteen. It's not illegal anymore. _And_ she's the champion of the region." Volkner had watched the battle transpire and had been proud of her for accomplishing such a feat.  
>"As it is... I'm twenty three, Flint. I'm... older," he said, hesitating.<br>"Since when has that meant anything?" Flint snorted. "I mean, dude. You still care about her. You always have, regardless of age."  
>"Point taken... alright." He took a breath and dialed the familiar number, waving Flint off. She answered on the fourth ring.<br>_"Hey,"_ she greeted him happily. From the looks of things, she was at her villa. _"How are you?"  
><em>"Good," he replied with a smile. "And you?"  
><em>"Not too bad... I've missed you."<em> An invisible hand squeezed his heart.  
>"I've missed you too," he said truthfully, placing his hand on the screen. She placed hers on the screen too. He felt hopeful for a moment as he stared into those eyes.<br>_"You changed the locks!" _a muffled voice complained. Dawn's eyes darted to the door. _"So much for joint custody rights!"_

_"I never agreed to that, Barry. You did," _she said loudly, looking a little irritated.  
>"Should I go?" Volkner asked hesitantly. Dawn shook her head.<br>_"Stay, please..."_ his earlier hope returned as she smiled reassuringly at him.  
><em>"...and I thought you were getting the new TV deal! I was going to pay for that, you know!" <em>Barry complained.  
><em>"Go home, Barry. We'll talk in the morning."<em> Something in her tone halted Barry in his tirade._  
>"Fine..." <em>Barry said dejectedly. Dawn bit her lip.  
>"So," she said quietly, "are you going to the party that the champions all organized?" the moment had arrived. Volkner sucked in a breath and nodded.<br>"And I was wondering if you'd like to come too?" he asked in a rushed tone. "I know I'm five years older, but you don't have to if you... don't want to." Flint audibly face palmed. "It's just that..."  
>"...you're inviting me? Well and truly?" Dawn asked, face lit up like a child's on Christmas morning.<br>"Yeah," Volkner said, heart pounding as he took in her joy. _She doesn't care about my age,_ he rejoiced.  
>"I'll come, then!" she proclaimed happily. "What time?"<br>"Six?" he requested, looking at the clock. "Or would you like more time?"  
>"How about five? I miss you," she added hastily, a familiar blush marking her cheeks.<br>"How about now?" Volkner asked, smiling like a fool. Dawn nodded immediately.  
>"Do you want to come here?"<br>"Already on my way," he told her, standing up. "See you soon, Dawn."  
>"See ya." She hung up and Flint whooped again.<br>"You ladies man!" he chortled, high fiving him. "See? What did I tell you?"  
>"I'll be home later," Volkner told him, clasping hands with him. "Thanks, man."<br>"No problem. You need to lighten up more, anyway... but Dawn lights your day for you. That sounded corny," Flint commented, frowning, "But it's true."  
>"It is," he replied, shutting the door. "She's my spark."<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>It would make sense in my eyes to have the elite four members all get together yearly to battle and discuss Pokémon, so I added in a party.<strong>_


	3. ClingyShipping

_-Fighting Spirit-(ClingyShipping)  
>Requested by: Paramorepokefreak<em>

_**To point out the obvious, this is a slash pairing (Barry/Lucas). If you're not a fan of slash, I've put up the next chapter.**_

* * *

><p>"Owww!" Barry whined, jerking his hand away from Lucas's grip. "That hurts!" Lucas looked up at him and sighed.<br>"I told you it was going to hurt, didn't I?" he asked, reaching for his friend's hand again. "I wish you'd come to me first. How long were you going to wander around with this?" he wanted to know, worry etched across his face. "Out of all the times you've injured yourself trying to succeed... this has to be the worst, Bar."  
>"I don't know," Barry replied angrily, hissing as Lucas placed his fingers on the oddly proportioned finger. "What sane person would put punching bags in their gym? Those stupid things are deadly!"<br>"Maylene. Shit, Bar... we're going to have to visit the centre after this. Even if I do pop this back in, I don't know how badly you've dislocated it," fretted Lucas. Barry paled, suddenly feeling horrible over his friend's reaction.  
>"I'm fine," he said hastily, attempting to ease the raven haired boy's mind but failing. "I'll be okay, I swear. Just pop it back in. I trust you," he added as Lucas's eyes met his.<br>"Are you sure you can't feel it too much?" Lucas asked hesitantly. "You know that I have some potions in my bag..."  
>"I don't need it, Luke! I'm the- okay, maybe I do," he sighed, looking away. "Luke?"<br>"Yeah?" he could hear him rummaging through his bag, looking for the correct potion.  
>"I'm sorry."<p>

"What for?" Lucas asked, setting the bottle on the coffee table.  
>"Being a pain in the ass," Barry mumbled, squeezing Lucas's hand. He heard and felt Lucas stand from his crouching position.<br>"What did you say?" Lucas asked, sitting himself next to him. "Barry..."  
>"Nothing. Let's just get this done with," Barry said shortly, bracing himself. He shivered as a warm hand pushed his face to the side, setting Lucas in his sights. Butterfrees rocketed through his stomach as he realized how close Lucas was to him.<br>"You're _not_ a pain in the ass. Never say that," Lucas scolded him softly, face filled with kindness.  
>"Okay..." he mumbled, embarrassed as he realized now that his face was exceptionally warm. So was his stomach. Lucas looked taken aback.<br>"Are-are you blushing?" he asked, a blush coming across his own face as he stammered.  
>"Do I turn red for no reason? Jeez, Luke," Barry said half heartedly, trying to smile. "I should fine you for saying that."<br>"Fine me and watch how fast I kick your ass," Lucas joked, equally half hearted. An awkward tension had filled the room faster than a heard of Entei. "Drink this." Barry took the bottle from Luke and drank slowly, his eyes never leaving those blue orbs. Lucas licked his lips once as he watched him.  
>"Thanks," Barry said quietly, handing him back the bottle. "It means a-" he didn't get much further as a pair of lips suddenly tackled his own. Barry yelped in surprise at the sudden fire that enveloped him. Lucas's hand began stroking his face as Barry pulled away, wide eyed. Lucas looked ashamed.<br>"SHIT! I'm sorry!" he gasped, face now as red as a Pokéball. "Barry, I'm so-" Barry closed the gap between them and resumed the kiss, leaning further into his childhood friend. Further into the fire, a part of him thought before being consumed. Each time their lips parted, they gasped for breath before going back into it.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure that wasn't weird?" Lucas asked a while later, staring shyly at the wild haired blond sitting in his lap. Barry shook his head earnestly.<br>"I didn't think it'd happen like that, but who cares?" he laughed quietly, head butting into Lucas's waiting palm. "I guess it _had_ to happen, you know?"  
>"I do... we still have to relocate your finger," Lucas groaned, worry beginning to fall back onto his face. "Are you sure you don't want to-"<br>"-Lucas?" Barry asked, placing his lips close to his lover's.  
>"Yes?" Lucas breathed, wind leaving his lungs.<br>"Shut up and stop worrying like a grandma. I trust you," Barry said, looking into his eyes with an almost challenging look. "Fix me."  
>"Alright," Lucas agreed, looking disappointed and nervous as Barry righted himself and stuck his scarf in his mouth. "Are you ready?" Barry nodded, masking his fear as Lucas's hand slid into his. After looking at the horribly bent upright finger, both boys braced themselves. "One... two..." Lucas placed his hand on the knuckle and straightened it, extracting both a noise from the finger and a muffled screech from Barry.<br>"I'm so sorry!" Lucas cried as the boy's head flailed into his chest. "Just shake it out... it's okay. I'm so sorry," he repeated, nearly crying at the look on his lover's face. "Are you okay?" Barry's terrified eyes met his before going oddly smug.  
>"Fooled you!" he sang, spitting out the scarf. "It didn't hurt a bit. Know why? Because I'm the future-okay, okay! Maybe it hurt... a little!" he panicked, shying away from Lucas's stony face. "I was joking! <em>I'm<em> sorry," he said guiltily, playing with his scarf. "I'm sorry, Luke." Lucas calmed down slowly.  
>"You're unreal," he sighed, holding Barry close and kissing his hair. "Stop trying to give me a heart attack."<br>"Health care's free here," Barry pointed out, semi relieved. "So I don't know why you're worried."  
>"Well, aren't you a nice boyfriend?" both glowed at the term.<br>"Shut up and make me a sandwich," Barry joked, laughing as Lucas elbowed him.


	4. CandyCornShipping

_-Fire Flares-(Chili X Burgundy)  
>Requested by: Rat2rrj.<em>

_**This isn't exactly a romance fic, but I'll probably end up writing an actual fic for this pairing.**_

* * *

><p><em><em>The gym was quiet as ten o'clock rolled around. A handful of people sat around drinking their tea as the remaining gym leaders sat at the counter. Cress smiled politely at everyone, even offering occasional small talk while his brother stared at the wall. Underneath the counter, he tapped his feet and fidgeted impatiently. He found the hours between eight and ten to be incredibly dull because no one bothered to challenge the actual gym. They just came to drink and converse.  
>"Chili, be still," Cress scolded lightly under his breath. "We close in half an hour."<br>"And you wonder why I'm restless?" Chili mumbled back, shooting him a look. Cress still had a smile on his face, a fact that irked him. "The fire's cooled for the day. All that's left are smoulders."  
>"A fact of life, brother. Have a good night," he added, raising a hand in farewell to a departing customer. "Come again." At times like these, Chili seriously questioned his parentage. His brothers and parents were so polite and calm as opposed to his flaring personality. He'd never perfected their tranquil patience or eternal peace. In fact, he was yet to see Cress lose his patience.<br>_If I didn't know better, I'd say I was adopted,_ he thought sourly as the doorbell rang again. _In all honesty- _his thoughts were cut off as the door was slammed open. The bell jingled loudly as it collided with the door frame.

Cress's smile slipped as they assessed the entrant. She was petite and innocent looking, almost like a porcelain doll; except for her fiery eyes. A snarl lined her face as she walked towards them.  
>"Isn't that the girl that Cilian made cry?" Cress asked, assessing her.<br>"Looks like it," Chili replied, getting to his feet. "Welcome to-"  
>"-où est –il?" she interrupted him. Beside him, Cress winced at the mispronounced French. "Where is he?" she repeated, casting a burning look towards the brothers. "Where's Cilian?" she stomped her foot and bit her lip. "Tell me, s'il vous plait!"<br>"Cilian's not here," Cress said slowly. Her eyes, if possible, grew angrier.  
>"What do you mean, he's not here? He owes me a battle!" she fumed, clenching her fists. "I need to beat him!"<br>"Cilian's currently travelling," Chili rephrased, slightly amused at the display happening in front of him. This was by far the most interesting person he'd seen enter the gym doors.  
>"He won't be back for some time," added Cress. The girl's shoulders slumped.<br>"Oh..." she muttered with a sigh. "Damn..." she tugged at the red bow on her shirt and lowered her head, saddened.

"Is it the Trio badge you're after, or just Cilian?" Cress asked kindly, accenting his words with a flick of his fingers. "While he may not be here, Chili and I still are."  
>"I'll take you on whenever you're ready," Chili offered, studying the crestfallen girl with a twinge of sympathy. She raised her head slowly and stared at him, eyes full of wonder.<br>"Really?" she asked, a small smile crossing her face, "you'll battle me?"  
>"Yeah," he confirmed, surprised as he stared into her eyes. While lilac colored, they were <em>his <em>eyes- the eyes of fire. Eyes that could scorch and incinerate, smoulder and burn. He'd never seen eyes quite like that before. Not even on the boy named Tripp.  
>"Okay, I challenge you!" she exclaimed, smiling. "Are you ready? Ready to lose?"<br>"I've been ready all night," Chili laughed, re-invigorated as he reached for his Pokéballs. "Bring it."  
>"I intend to," she said, fire returning to her eyes. "Let's go, Dewott!"<p> 


	5. JetShipping

_-Home amongst the talons- (JetShipping)  
>Requested by: AshKetchumDarkSide.<em>

"I'm sorry, but this needs to be done, Svelte!" the magenta haired girl called as she chased the proud classed Pokémon around the gym. "Stay still," she added with a pant as the bird effortlessly flew through another ring. Upon landing on another platform, the chased Unfezant ruffled her feathers and squawked indignantly at her young trainer.  
>"She'll tire herself soon, right?" Clyde asked, shouting across the gym as Skyla hopped into a cannon. "She can't keep flying forever."<br>_Thank Arceus I didn't teach her roost,_ Skyla thought grimly as she sailed through the air. _Otherwise I'd really be in a spot...  
><em>"Gotcha!" she shouted as a loud noise startled Svelte into flying again. The two crashed into each other, grunting as they hit the ground. The poor bird went into near hysterics, pecking her trainer's shoulders again and again.  
>"What the hell?" asked a familiar voice. Skyla felt the heat rush to her face, realizing just how ridiculous she must look to her boyfriend. She sat upright, clutching a persistent bird to her chest. Her hair must be a mess from both flying and crashing. As for her clothes...<p>

"Fezaaaaant," Svelte whined, raking her talons into her bare flesh. "Fez!" the girl gritted her teeth in pain and glanced hopelessly at Black. He was racing towards the cannons, all the while watching her.  
>"Ah! It's okay, Svelte!" gasped Skyla, returning her attention to her Unfezant as she resumed her pecking. "It'll only take ten minutes!"<br>"Unfezant," Svelte complained, reaching desperately for Skyla's fingers.  
>"What happened? Are you okay?" asked Black as he shot out of the final cannon. Dropping his hat on the floor, he ran towards her and crouched down.<br>"I'm fine. Just trying to trim Svelte's talons. Because they grow back so fast, I have to do it often... and as you can see, she hasn't gotten used to it," she replied, wincing as Svelte renewed her struggling.  
>"Need a hand?" Black asked, reaching out in an attempt to soothe the Unfezant. She balked and stretched out her head, attempting to peck him instead. "She's not happy."<br>"She's never liked it... yes, please. Can you go get the tool kit? I left it by my podium," Skyla replied, stroking Svelte's feathery head. "Shh. It's okay," she repeated softly, beginning to sing under her breath as Black shot himself out of another cannon.

* * *

><p><em>"I'm Coming Home, I'm Coming Home, tell the world I'm Coming Home,"<em> she began to sing as Black returned, open kit resting in his arms. She squeezed his hand as he handed her the clippers and smiled sweetly at him. He smiled back and began to stroke the calming Svelte's head. She was now curled onto Skyla's lap, yellow eyes unfocused as she began to fall asleep.  
><em>"Let the rain wash away all the pain of yesterday,"<em> she continued, kissing her beak as she began clipping, _"I know my kingdom awaits and they've forgiven my mistakes. I'm Coming Home, I'm Coming Home. Tell the world I'm Coming... Home._ See? I told you it wouldn't take so long," she whispered as Svelte's eyes closed again.  
>"What happened to make her like this?" Black asked quietly, resting his hand on her back. "Did she have an accident?"<br>"Yeah... my father accidentally dropped her while clipping her talons as a newborn Pidove. She landed on a grate," explained Skyla, looking sorrowful. "It took hours to get her out of it because the spaces in the grate were as big as her little legs."  
>"Poor girl," Black said, understanding clicking sadly into place as he stroked Svelte's feathers again. "Now I understand..."<br>"Will the fear ever leave her?" Skyla asked, staring down at the cuts on her thighs. Black considered this as he reached back into the kit for bandages.  
>"Probably not for a long time, but I think it will. Especially with you as her trainer," he added, applying them along the long cuts. "Does she do this every time?" his girlfriend nodded and produced a Pokéball.<br>"Return," she breathed, pointing the ball at Svelte. She disappeared into the light as Skyla sighed.  
>"They're not as bad as they look. She usually aims for my top half," she added. "Not as many scars as you'd think, thanks to Audino."<br>"Let me help you next time," Black said, looking fierce for a second as he finished bandaging. "I know you can do it yourself but from the looks of things, it takes forever. Not only that... I'm your boyfriend, Sky." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, being mindful of the bandages. "We do things together, remember?"  
>"Always," she replied, wrapping her arms around him in return. Their faces stayed close as Black pressed his lips to the space between her eyes.<br>"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" he asked, kissing her nose. Skyla giggled and lightly head butted him.  
>"I don't think you have... can I hear just how much?" she replied, smiling as he chuckled.<br>"This much," he informed her as he rubbed noses with her, "and this much," he added as he kissed her cheek, "and this much," he whispered as he lightly kissed a path to her lips. "I love you so much it hurts some times, Skyla," he told her softly, capturing her lips again with more passion.  
>"As I love you, my wings," she said, returning his kiss earnestly. "Keep me from crashing down?"<br>"Forever," Black promised as their fingers intertwined.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The definition for svelte is: <strong>__**showing a high degree of refinement and the assurance that comes from wide social experience. While the name would most definitely better suit Skyla's Swanna, her Unfezant has its own type of refined grace and poise. Despite being trainer-only Pokémon, the entire population seem to naturally have the assurance that was mentioned. Just in case anyone wanted to know what Skyla nick-named her Unfezant. **_


	6. BurningLeafShipping

_-Reasons- (BurningLeafShipping)  
>Requested by: a random reader<em>

He'd always been quiet. Not because he was shy, but because he found conversation boring. Leaf had always been fine with that until now. She stood a foot away from him, lips parted in horror as she took in the scene. The wind wrapped around them in an icy caress, eliminating any cheer that could have possibly lasted from the climb. Her clothing was torn and her hair was a mess while his were all intact.  
>"Why?" she asked him, voice swallowed in the wind. "WHY?" she repeated, voice growing louder until she was screaming. Tears rolled down her face at Red's lack of reaction. He stood there motionless, staring at her with comfortless eyes. His Pikachu sat on his shoulder awkwardly; looking between the couple like one observes a tennis game.<br>"I needed to grow stronger," Red said, voice cutting through clearly. Leaf simply gaped at him. In three years, his voice had grown deeper and he'd grown taller. His lack of emotions and Pikachu were all that remained of the Red that she knew. "I thought you'd understand."  
>The Red that she <em><span>loved<span>_, Leaf's internal voices whispered. Her Red would never have left her, would he?  
>"You left without saying goodbye to any of us. How was I meant to 'understand'?" Leaf said finally, slowly walking towards him. She lifted a shaking finger and pointed it at him, trying desperately to get her point across. "You vanished, Red." A flicker of emotion strangely crossed Red's face, but he said nothing. "You scared us. Professor Oak, your mom, even Blue. Blue tore the towns apart looking for his rival."<br>"Leaf, we went on a _journey_. Mine's not over yet," Red replied as Pikachu jumped off his shoulder. He flinched at the sensation but watched with some interest as he ran straight to Leaf.  
>"Pika PI!" he gushed, hugging her legs. "Pikachu!" she let a smile through and knelt to stroke the electric mouse's sleek fur.<p>

"Hey, Pika," she murmured as he jumped onto her knees. "I've missed you... but why didn't you come home once?" she asked, raising her voice and lifting her head. "Didn't you think about us?"  
>"Every day... Leaf, I'm sorry." Red kept their eye contact as he closed the gap between them. "When I heard about Mt. Silver... I had to. You knew deep down that I'd come here. I knew you'd never stop looking."<br>"But why did I have to find out this way after three years of searching?" she asked, tears filling her blue eyes again. "I thought I was your girlfriend. I thought we went everywhere together..."  
>"This was something I had to do alone," he told her regretfully. His eyes showed the truth of his words, clicking understanding into Leaf.<br>"Your father," she stated, hands going idle. "You thought he'd be here..."  
>"And he was, for a time..." pain entered his face and his voice. His shoulders hunched slightly before her eyes. She longed to comfort him, to finally hold him again after so long; but she fought the longing to hear the rest of his words. "I was stupid to chase after a dream like that. After all this time..." was Red <em>crying<em>? Pika ran to him, confusion on his little yellow face.  
>"Pika?" he asked uncertainly, staring up at his young trainer. "Chu?"<br>"I knew him all along. And now I know why he never came home. I can never reunite my family, Leaf... Giovanni never wanted anything to do with us." Her blood turned to ice at his words.  
>"Giovanni?" she repeated faintly as he looked down at Pika. He nodded slowly. "Red..." she was beside him in an instant, pulling him into her arms. He sat there like stone for a moment before giving into his sorrow. Slowly the former Pokémon league champion began to cry, sobs muffled into his girlfriend's shoulder. Leaf stroked his hair and shed her own tears, cursing the stars above for Giovanni's coldness. Her eyes met Pika's briefly and she saw the same hate she now felt for the crime syndicate's boss.<p>

* * *

><p>After what felt like hours, Red pulled himself from Leaf's grip and stared awkwardly away from her.<br>"That wasn't the reunion I had in mind," he said after a while. "But at least you're here. I'm-"  
>"-don't apologize," she corrected him, drinking in his features. His black hair was as thick and messy as ever and his skin was still completely soft. Like snow, she thought. His eyes showed the story she'd missed but as he looked back at her, she saw the look that only she knew. The look that simply meant nothing more needed to be said. The two still understood each other after all this time.<br>"Pikachu," Pika groaned impatiently, waving his arms between them. "Pika, Pika!" Red smiled and even laughed a little at his starter's insistence. The look and sound made Leaf's insides melt. By God, she'd missed the sweet sound of his laugh and his rare smiles. Leaf felt herself blush as Pika made kissy faces at the young couple.  
>"That's it. Go away," Red scolded Pika, motioning for him to stand away from them. Pika smirked and scampered away. "So," he began, looking sheepishly at Leaf, "are we still together?"<p>

"Of course we are," she replied, heart pounding. "You're nuts if you thought I was going anywhere."  
>"Good," Red said, obviously relieved. "So, you're not with Blue or anything...?" Leaf made a disgusted face, effectively answering his question. "Even better," he laughed, pulling Leaf onto his lap. She squeaked but let him do so, shivering with delight as he wrapped his arms around her waist.<br>"I missed you so much," he informed her, kissing her earlobe.  
>"I missed you too," she sighed, locking her hands with his. "Want to go home after this?" Red thought this over and, with a pang, Leaf wondered if she'd said the wrong thing too soon.<br>"Yeah," he agreed after a minute, kissing the mussed brown hair, "I think I do. Watch Blue have a fit over the levels of my Pokémon," he chuckled.  
>"He's a gym leader now," Leaf pointed out. Red's eyebrows rose.<br>"You're kidding." _Smart one, Leaf! After what just happened... _Leaf thought suddenly, sweat dripping down her forehead despite the freezing weather.  
>"Nope. You've missed out on so much," she said instead with regret.<br>"I'll make up for it. Starting with you," Red promised, nosing her cheek. Leaf tilted her head upwards, losing her hat and any doubts she'd had about her boyfriend. Their first kiss in three years surprised them both before long- one kiss turned into at least twenty five kisses. Their tongues met eagerly, sliding onto each other with ease despite a three year absence.  
>"Pika," Pika called coyly, snapping them out of their passion. "Pika, Pika, Pika," he added, shaking his ass at tm. Red rolled his eyes while Leaf blushed."We'll get a room after,"<br>Red replied, returning his attention to a giggling Leaf.

* * *

><p><em><strong>My usual name-out-of-the-hat method is surprisingly effective.<strong>_


	7. LoliShotaShipping

_-What's in a name? - (LolishotaShipping)  
>Requested by: Professor Yuki.<em>

The couple sat on the sand, quietly talking as the sun rose upon Undella Bay. The rising sun cast beautiful shades onto the crashing waves, making the blond sigh with contentment.  
>"It's a nice sight, isn't it?" Steven asked, glancing at Cynthia. "It's... more peaceful than the beaches back home."<br>"It is," she agreed, gray eyes focused on the water. "Especially after the events that transpired..." at that, both visualised the ferocious sight of Kyogre and Groudon staring each other down at Sootopolis city. Lighting crashed around them periodically as the weather drastically changed from intense heat to pouring rain. Even after both had been calmed by the dragon known as Rayquaza, the effects of their presence lingered.  
>"The things we've seen are truly phenomenal," commented Steven, falling back slightly. Cynthia finally looked at him, brushing her hair out of her face. "Though at times, I'd love nothing more than to go back and search for my rare stones." Cynthia smiled at his tone- he sounded almost like a complaining child as he mentioned his rocks.<br>"Have you found any in Unova?" she asked, watching his face brighten with interest. "I've heard of something strange... I think it was called a 'prism shard' or something?"  
>"The name sounds familiar... but yes, I've found several rocks and gems around here. A beach goer gave me what he called a 'lucky egg' yesterday," he replied, pulling the smooth oval out of his pocket and holding it in the air. Cynthia frowned as she gazed at it. "From what I've researched, they're Chansey eggs. Any Pokémon who hold it gain bonus experience points in battle."<br>"Fascinating... but after so long, how didn't anyone notice these special properties until now?" she wondered, cupping a palm. "May I?"  
>"Always," Steven replied, watching her lean forward to collect it, other hand pressed to her stomach. Her face itself looked similar to the egg she held, but it was much lovelier. Those famous gray eyes narrowed as she examined it from all angles.<br>"Well, I'm glad that Chanseys are nonexistent here," she said finally, returning the egg with a grim smile. "Certain people would do anything for a boost like that."

"Without thinking," he agreed, smiling as he took the egg again. "Chansey eggs are filled with joy, as you felt... something for you to research, my dear?" Steven guessed as she lay down beside him. She considered this and nodded slowly.  
>"Perhaps... several eggs are laid each day. They're almost as legendary as legendaries themselves. Thank you," she said to Steven. "I was growing bored without my research. Bored and fat," she muttered to herself.<br>"Why not come home permanently?" Steven asked directly, sitting upright. "Neither of us have ties to the league anymore. We're free to do as we wish." Cynthia watched his Metagross run along the sand, apparently racing her Garchomp. Its mouth was open in concentration as it scuttled forward. The dragon ran with ease, occasionally looking back at its competitor to laugh.  
>"I don't know," she sighed. "Is my father still furious at me for leaving?" the silence was broken by Garchomp's cheers as it won the race. It jumped around as Metagross grumbled, looking at Steven with a grumpy look on its face.<br>"No, he misses his eldest daughter. You'd be surprised what ten years can do to someone, Cynthia," he said dryly. "He accepts our travelling but wishes that you'd settle down. Especially now that you're pregnant." She bit her lip. "Your dad understands how much myths amaze you... but they consume you at times."  
>"When you put it like that," she admitted heavily, "I suppose you're right. I become as engrossed as you when you're digging." Steven raised an eyebrow.<br>"I'm not that engrossed," he argued. Cynthia choked back a laugh. "I'm far from being the next Michelangelo."  
>"Despite being close to it in your youth?" she smirked, returning to their old game. "When you're old and wrinkly you'll still be telling anyone who will listen about your stones."<br>"Yeah? Well, you're the one who wanted to name their daughter _Demeter_." Her eyes widened as Steven began to smirk.

"Shut up!" she shoved him, unable to stop herself from laughing. "You wanted to name your son _Cui-Fen_."  
>"It's a <em>lovely<em> name," Steven recalled, joining her. "We were sad children."  
>"We were," she agreed. "I'm happy to say that I've moved on from darling Demeter."<br>"Oh?"  
>"Yeah. Annemae and Jaida," she told him. "What about you?"<br>"Cameo's a nice name," he said finally. "What if we have a son?" Cynthia glanced to her stomach and her brow furrowed.  
>"Shit." Steven's eyebrows rose at his wife's language. "We've completely forgotten about that, haven't we? What about... Jasper?" Steven shook his head. "Riley?"<br>"Isn't our child due in July?" she nodded. "How about Ruben? The gemstone for July is the ruby."  
>"Ruben Stone," she muttered, eyes glazing as she considered this. "Yeah, I like that. It's a lot better than-"<br>"-mention that name again and you're walking home," Steven warned, looking embarrassed.  
>"Sorry, darling. Metagross, what are you doing?" Cynthia asked the pseudo legendary as it jumped around Lucario. Spiritomb sat below, watching the affair.<p>

"Playing volleyball, I think," Steven answered, teal eyes attentive. "Yeah, they're playing volleyball with Claydol." His wife looked incredulously at him. "It happens a lot," he shrugged in response. "One Pokémon uses psychic and sends it flying. Claydol doesn't seem to care."  
>"Your Pokémon get bored easily," she commented flatly, getting to her feet. "Back to the villa?"<br>"Alright. Time to sleep, everyone," Steven called. Metagross and Spiritomb groaned while Lucario dutifully ran back to his trainer, game forgotten.  
>"Do you guys play like that often?" she asked it, patting its snout. It shrugged in a similar way to Steven.<br>"Lucario," it unapologetically explained. Cynthia sighed.  
>"Men... I sincerely hope our child is a daughter."<br>"We'll find out soon enough," the gray haired man said, kissing her cheek and rubbing her stomach. "In the meantime, you need to rest."  
>"I'm not tired," Cynthia complained. "I'm not even half way through the pregnancy."<br>"You need to rest," Steven said quietly, staring at her. There was barely three inches in height between them.  
>"Fine," she groaned, turning to walk into the villa. "Sometimes it feels as if you're more than three years older than me."<br>"Yes, I love you too," Steven chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist.  
>"<em>Cui-Fen,<em>" she sang quietly, smirking to herself. Without thinking of it, Steven kissed her.


	8. SpecialShipping

_-The Letter- (SpecialShipping)  
>Requested by: tigrun.<br>_

_**Please note that I've only recently started reading the Manga. So I'm sorry for any signs of OOC characters. With that being said, enjoy.**_

* * *

><p>The morning arrived too quickly for the fourteen year old. After turning her alarm off, she grumbled and rubbed her eyes. The morning light shone weakly through her Pokéball patterned curtains.<br>"G'morning, Chuchu," she called, resisting the urge to return to her sleep.  
>"Pika," the flower adorned Pokémon replied, rubbing her own eyes. "Chu, pika?"<br>"Mm," replied her trainer, climbing out of bed. "What's the-" she froze as she glanced at the small calendar. The date that had been circled and stamped was the one next to be crossed. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth parted as she ran for the door. "Come on, Chuchu!" she cried, hastily throwing her hat under her arm.

"Red!" she called excitedly, looking around as she reached the bottom floor of the dex holder's official home.  
>"What's up?" he asked, emerging from the kitchen with a bowl of oatmeal. "You're up early... did Gold loan you his energy today?" he added with a chuckle.<br>"Nah... The letter's coming today, Red!" she informed him, puffing out her chest slightly. "I'm gonna find out if I got into school!" Acknowledgement crossed Red's face as he began to grin. He was visibly proud of his younger girlfriend.  
>"Oh, yeah! Today's the big day, isn't it?"<br>"It is... Do you think I'll get in?" she asked, suddenly nervous. Twirling her hat in her hands, she watched him under her lashes (she'd learned the trick from Green) and lowered her head. Red nodded instantly and gripped her small arm gently. Fireworks exploded into her stomach at the contact and the sudden look of intensity in his red eyes.  
>"Of course you'll get in," he assured her, lightly drumming his fingers. The feel of it somewhat resembled a massage to her. "You're the one and only Yellow. Why wouldn't they accept you, babe?" his words basked her in a warm glow. A broad smile crossed her small face as she hugged him. "Hang on," he told her, awkwardly breaking their hug. A sheepish look was on his face. "I gotta put the oatmeal down..."<br>"Oh, yeah... sorry," Yellow apologized with a blush as she followed him into their kitchen. "I forgot about that..."  
>"Don't worry about it." he placed the bowl onto the counter and quickly gazed out the window.<br>"Blue's gonna get soaked," he chuckled. "It's going to pour... where were we?" he wrapped his arms around her again and rubbed her back. Yellow sighed in contentment and leaned her head onto his chest. At that moment, she realized that he only wore a tank top and boxer shorts. A blush warmed her face as she stifled nervous giggles.

"What?" Red mumbled into her hair.  
>"N-nothing," she replied unconvincingly. "I like your pants," she added in a rush before feeling mortified. "I didn't mean that!" Red began to laugh quietly before kissing her head.<br>"I know," he replied, pulling apart to look down at her. "What a thing to say to your boyfriend. Picking up tricks from Green, eh?" he joked. Yellow frowned and began to panic.  
>"I didn't mean that!" she repeated several times, brown eyes imploring as she shook her head. She was, after all, only fourteen, Red reminded himself.<br>"Babe, it's okay. I was joking," he said, kissing her nose. "Calm down, kay?"  
>"Okay," she mumbled, looking now at the red and blue striped carpet. Ruby had had his say in decorating the house- every thread in the curtains were the exact same length, each patch of carpet matched and the paint coating the walls were all even. Gold and Emerald hadn't been allowed to paint or decorate.<br>_Decorating's like sewing. You have to get everything right,_ he said on more than one occasion. _Even if it's a small thread on the collar or a stray spot of different colored paint on the wall... it just doesn't look right otherwise.  
><em>"Awww, this is cute," Crystal remarked as she entered the room. "You're up early as well, Yellow."  
>"Big day," Red and Yellow replied at the same time. Yellow lifted her eyes from the carpet to see Crystal- but stopped dead at the envelope in her hand.<br>"That's..." she began, suddenly breathless. Red let go of her as she all but ran for the letter. Crystal laughed and held it above her head. "Gimme!" she whined, reaching frantically for it. "Crystal!"  
>"Wait for the others. They want to see this," Crystal said gently. With a frustrated sigh, Yellow turned on her heel and ran out of the room.<p>

* * *

><p>Within the hour, all of the dex holders were seated in the lounge room. Some, like Green and Ruby, complained about not getting enough sleep while others, like Silver, Red and Blue; sat patiently as Crystal sat down. Emerald sat on his throne like chair, yawning. Gold was teasing Ruby while Sapphire both laughed and defended her almost metrosexual boyfriend.<br>"Can I open it now?" Yellow asked Crystal, nervous again. Crystal nodded encouragingly from her spot near Gold's feet.  
>"Go for it, sweets!" she called. All conversation stopped and all eyes went to her. Yellow began to sweat and audibly gulped.<br>"You go, girl_friend_!" Gold called in a mockingly female voice that made nearly everyone laugh.  
>"You know what's funny? It sounds like you trying to sing Adele," Silver smirked. Gold turned red and abruptly stopped laughing.<br>"It does not! It sounds like Ruby when he's broken a nail!" he replied defiantly, sliding his goggles over his eyes.  
>"Like hell!" retorted Ruby, chin in the air. "It does NOT sound like me! It sounds like Green ordinarily!"<br>"Burned," chortled Emerald, lifting his hand for a high five. Ruby gingerly returned it.  
>"Shut up!" Green growled, glaring at the boys. She wasn't reasonable of a morning.<br>"Hey, all of you. Shut up and let Yellow open her letter," scolded Sapphire. She shot all four boys (and Green) a nasty look that effectively shut them up. "Thank you," she said, smiling with satisfaction as she leaned back into Ruby.  
>"Go, baby," Red said from the front row. Gold wolf whistled, earning another look from Sapphire.<br>"Don't make me go over there," she warned.  
>"Are you crying?" Green asked with disbelief. Unnoticed by everyone but Red, little Yellow had opened and read her letter. Her lips quivered and her eyes were watering in shock. "She is!" Green gasped.<br>"Well done, Sherlock," Silver said sarcastically. "Well, is it good or bad news?" he inquired, tossing his red hair.  
>"Are you okay, Yel?" Emerald asked, frowning.<br>"Babe?" Red said uncertainly, rising to his feet. Crystal looked ready to join him.

"I got in," Yellow whispered, smiling. "I GOT IN!" she cried, throwing the letter into the air. Red immediately hugged her, laughing as she began to cry tears of joy. Emerald, Sapphire and Gold whooped and cheered while Ruby and Silver applauded. Blue gave her a hug, as did Crystal.  
>"I'm going to medical school," she gushed as Red hugged her again. "I did it!"<br>"I told you so. Well done, beautiful," Red cheered, kissing her in front of everyone.


	9. HeartSoulShipping

_-Anything for You- (HeartSoulShipping)  
>Requested by:PrincessOfDestiny14.<br>_

As he woke, Ethan noticed several strange things. His head ached, he felt sick and everything was nearly out of focus. As he tried to open his eyes, he groaned at a sudden pain that seemed to come from within his face.  
>"What happened?" he asked, attempting to sit up. A small but firm hand prevented that motion.<br>"Thank Arceus you're alright!" a high pitched voice enthused. His eyes snapped open at the sound of that voice.  
>"Lyra?" he asked incredulously, groaning again as a fresh wave of pain forced him to shut his left eye. Sure enough, the little brunette was sitting by his bedside, face filled with relief. They seemed to be in a strange bedroom. "What are you doing here?"<br>"You don't remember?" she replied, concern replacing relief. Her eyes became nervous. Ethan's forehead creased as he attempted to think about whatever she was talking about.  
>"He wouldn't, dear. It was a knockout punch," a gravelly female voice cut in. The boy was well and truly lost now.<br>"Grandma?" he asked in the same tone he'd asked Lyra. "What are you doing here?" the elderly woman bent into his sight, eyes veiled as she assessed him. After a moment, she nodded and sighed.  
>"He has a concussion... and Lyra will explain in a minute, dear. Just stay still, please," Grandma Hibiki requested wearily, placing an icepack onto Ethan's bad eye. He winced at the sudden coldness but bit his tongue. "That boy was lucky that Roger wasn't around..." she mumbled.<br>"Can you tell me what happened now?" Ethan asked, impatience suddenly getting the better of him. "Where's Marill?" he added, looking around for her. Lyra sighed and began to rock on the chair she was sitting on.

"You got punched," she began slowly, "by Silver." Ethan registered the shock but dimly remembered the event at her words. The red head had been shocked... but by what? He wondered, watching Lyra intently. She seemed to be having trouble getting the words out. "You fell, so your grandma took you inside. We're at the day care centre."  
>"The full story, dear. I think he wants that," Grandma Hibiki voiced Ethan's thoughts, assessing Lyra with curious grey eyes. Ethan's own eyes. "And your Marill is out back playing with Lyra's Pokémon. I'll bring her in soon." Ethan smiled and gave as much of a nod he could manage without feeling sick. "I'll leave you to tell the story, Lyra. Unfortunately, it's still working hours," she added apologetically, looking a little sad. "Also, I think that one of the dittos has contracted something." Everyone in the room shuddered at that statement. "I sure hope that the eggs are fine..."<p>

"Pokérus?" Ethan said jokingly, attempting to lighten the mood. "Everyone loves that." Grandma Hibiki tousled his black hair affectionately and laughed.  
>"Already back to his old self... you'll be fine." She pressed a kiss to his forehead and left the room. Lyra exhaled as the door shut behind her.<br>"Okay... time to tell you," she mumbled, clearing her throat and twirling a strand of her hair around her fingers. With a jolt, Ethan realized that her pigtails and hat were off her head. Instead, a thick mane of brown hair flowed over her shoulders. "Don't ask," she blurted hastily as she noticed his expression. Her cheeks turned bright pink.  
>"I wasn't going to," he lied as he continued to stare at her. She looked even better without those features. Not that he was going to tell her, he thought just as hastily, suddenly finding his fingernails interesting.<br>"Okay. Well, here's what happened..."

* * *

><p>"Whaaaat?" Ethan asked loudly, staring at his grandmother in disbelief. "She- Lyra's not my girlfriend!" beside him, the mushroom hat wearing girl in question had turned bright pink. Mrs. Hibiki laughed at the blushing pair, eyes crinkling in mirth.<br>"I'm sorry, dear," she apologized, leaning over the counter to ruffle his hair, "but you make a striking pair. It'll come with time."  
>"We have to go now," Ethan said hastily, backing into the doorway and nearly stepping on his Marill. "I'll walk you out, Lyra?"<br>"No, no," she disagreed, already in the stages of running to the door. "Nice to meet you, madam."  
>"Thanks, grandma," Ethan sighed as the door swang shut behind her. Her smile faded as he hung his head.<br>"I was having a joke, Ethan. I'm sorry."  
>"It's fine... " He mumbled to the tiles. "Will she ever talk to me again?" the elderly woman laughed slightly but stopped as he lifted his head to glare at her.<br>"Of course she will! Trust me, dear. I bet she's outside waiting for you. Really," she exclaimed as she saw his sceptical expression. "Women don't tend to let things like these ruin their friendships. Go and see!"  
>"Alright," Ethan agreed, cheering up. He beckoned to Marill and the two left a smiling woman behind.<p>

The first thing Ethan saw, as always, was the scenery. The grass was a brilliant green, set off by a beautiful, clear blue sky. A few wild Pokémon ran around in the long grass, happily chattering amongst themselves. Inhaling deeply, the last of his nerves were calmed. He loved this route with a passion. It was peaceful and pleasant, like Lyra.  
><em>Where is she?<em> He wondered, looking around only to stiffen at an unexpected sight. Lyra wasn't alone. In fact, she looked a little _upset._

* * *

><p>A tall stranger faced her, smirking at something as he spoke. Her head fell as she backed away. Snippets of what he said flew to Ethan: "Weakling... pathetic...". Ethan's insides flared at the sight in front of him. This guy was teasing his childhood friend!<br>"Is there a problem?" he asked loudly, stepping forward. Both teenagers turned their heads. The stranger was tall with red hair that fell past his shoulders. He wore a deep purple colored jacket that was trimmed with red and had a sinister smirk on his face that seemed almost tamed to his downright scary looking eyes. They were a cold silver color that, paired with the owner, pierced through Ethan. He flinched slightly but stood his ground.  
>"What are you, her boyfriend?" Ethan blushed but stared determinedly at him. "Kotone, I'm disappointed. A Marill?" Marill flinched at the disbelief in his tone. "How pathetic. I bet you can't even battle..."<br>"I can," Ethan replied heatedly, "but that's not important."  
>"'Not important'?" the stranger threw his words back to him and shook his head. "Yep, you two belong together. Match made in heaven... Dumb and <em>impossibly<em> dumber."  
>"Leave Ethan out of this" –Small sparks flew in Lyra's eyes as she gazed up at her apparent rival-"and leave us alone." he simply raised his eyebrows.<br>"Touchy," he remarked drily. "I suppose you're too weak to offer me a battle, then." Lyra sighed and reached for her balls- and froze. Her expression turned to horror as she fumbled with her belt, finding no balls.  
>"You lost your Pokéballs? You're an idiot!" the stranger said, disbelief in his voice as she continued to fumble. "What trainer loses their balls?"<p>

"I'll challenge you later..." she said, looking frightened. "I had them before, I swear!"  
>"Obviously swearing isn't good enough. You lost six Pokémon, idiot. "<br>"Stop calling her names," Ethan nearly snarled, losing his patience. The red head looks surprised for an instant before his eyes hardened.  
>"Or what?" he asked, stepping forward. "You'll go crying to the professor? To your mommy? What can you do to me?"<br>"I'll make you leave," Ethan said defiantly, stepping forward. "I have Pokémon."  
>"Really? Where? All I can see is a weak looking ball." Marill growled in protest. "Do you have more Pokémon hidden in Kotone's hat?"<br>"No... But my Marill and I can take you on." The stranger rolled his eyes.  
>"That classes as 'rape'. So, no." He turned back to Lyra and stared hard at her. "Wouldn't the professor be proud of his little 'assistant' now?"<br>"Shut up, Silver," she said angrily, clenching her hands into fists. "Please, just shut up."  
>"What did you say?" Silver's eyes narrowed to slits as Ethan began to shake. He couldn't tolerate what this Silver was saying to her.<br>"You heard me." She sounded less confident under that gaze. "J-just shut up."  
>"Mind your manners, woman," Silver said harshly, walking over to her and <em>shoving <em>her.  
>At that point, Ethan lost his cool.<p>

Fire raced through his blood as he charged towards Silver. Heart pounding in his ears, he shoved him away as hard as he could, cocking his fist as a wild growl escaped his lips. Silver looked surprised as he staggered away but was soon back in his original position, swinging his fist. He groaned as he fell, crashing into the ground. Filled with shock and adrenalin, he clambered to get back up- only to be kicked down again. Dimly, he heard Lyra pleading for them to stop. He could see her trying to pull Silver away to no avail. He shoved her again, this time sending her flying backwards into the grass. Ethan stood up in a hurry, tackling the red head. The two glared at each other as the door slammed open.  
>"What is going on here?" A female voice demanded shrilly. Ethan glanced up, giving Silver the perfect opportunity.<br>SMACK.  
>His face flew backwards with a sickening sound. He gasped and yet again fell backwards, holding his face in his hands. The last of the adrenalin disappeared from his system as Silver looked down at him.<br>"Idiot, " he said distastefully.  
>"Come back here this instant!" Mrs. Hibiki demanded, following him. Something soft touched the downed Ethan's face.<br>"Are you okay? Oh Mew," Lyra moaned faintly, sounding like she was on the verge of tears. "Ethan, I'm sorry..."  
>"Don't be," he replied, feeling a little sick now. The world was distorting around him. "Are you... okay?"<br>"Yeah..."  
>"Then I did well," Ethan said triumphantly. "I protected you. My..." she stiffened and looked down at him, stunned. She seemed illuminated somehow.<br>"Your what?" she asked softly. Ethan stared up at her and blurted two words that stunned her further.  
>"You look better without the tails and hair," he added quietly as he blacked out.<p>

* * *

><p>Ethan swore as Lyra finished her story. She looked a little shy now.<br>"That actually happened?" he asked sheepishly. She nodded. "I don't regret it." Sinking back into the pillows, he smiled. "I showed him... did he come back?"  
>"Yeah. He came back as soon as I found my balls. They were on the counter," she giggled. "Your grandma is one scary lady when she screams. He won't be back anytime soon."<br>"Good." Ethan smirked, satisfied.  
>"Yeah..." her facial expression was almost... infatuated now. And it was directed towards <em>him<em>! He flushed, biting his tongue as she cleared her throat.  
>"Thank you," she began, staring down at him. "You shouldn't have hit him, but you stood up for me."<br>"I always will," he mumbled. "You know I will..."  
>"Can I ask you something?" her eyes were shining in a hypnotic way. "Am I... am I really your beautiful Lyra?" he nodded eagerly before sitting upright.<br>"Wait... that's what I said?" he asked, worried. She nodded, another smile lighting up her lips. "Ah, crap..." he sighed and looked hopelessly up at her. "Delcatty's out of the bag..."  
>"Marill!" a loud voice squealed. A light weight fell onto Ethan's legs as his Pokémon jumped onto the bed anxiously. She grabbed his chin in her paws and examined the black eye in horror.<br>"I'm okay," he assured her as she hugged his arm fiercely. "It's okay, Marill. I'm okay," he repeated, laughing.  
>"You look well now... I think you should stay overnight to be sure," Mrs. Hibiki decided, a frown playing on her face as she looked at Lyra. "It's nearly six o'clock..."<br>"Can't Lyra stay a little longer?" asked Ethan as both teenagers' faces fell. "Please?"

"Of course," she replied warmly, suddenly understanding. "I'll be back in a minute." As she shuffled out of the room, Mrs. Hibiki grinned as she heard Lyra giggling. Of course, she'd been right. Women always seemed to be right. Humming happily, she pulled her PokéGear out of her coat pocket and pressed redial.

"Hello, Is everything okay?" Ethan's mother enquired. "Is Ethan there and safe?"  
>"Oh, dear, I've got quite a tale for you," Mrs. Hibiki replied, returning to her counter. "Is Roger there, too? I think he'd love to hear this..."<br>"What's going on?" enquired Mr. Hibiki, coming to the gate with a confused look on his old face."Is that boy back?"  
>"No, darling. The boy's long gone. Stay here for a second... you, Maria and Roger have to hear this tale."<br>"Alright," he agreed, resting his palms on the gate suspiciously. "Am I in trouble, dearest?"  
>"No, no," she laughed as their daughter-in-law set the PokéGear on loud speaker, "you both owe us twenty Poké." There was a stunned silence at her words.<br>"It finally happened?" Roger asked, relieved. "Took them long enough..."  
>"They're growing up so fast," sniffed Maria. "Oh, honey..."<br>"Heh, heh... young love," cackled Mr. Hibiki, casting a sneaky look to the back. "It's so prosperous."  
>"It's twenty Poké, dad," reminded Roger. Mr. Hibiki waved his hand and tutted.<br>"It's still prosperous. Now, shall we bet on when the wedding will take place?"


	10. PokeShipping

_-The Idiot and the Mermaid- (PokéShipping)  
>Requested by:<em> _PHOEBEZLAMENSTUPIDAZBRAH and Ai-chan._

"Is this necessary?" the brown haired woman asked quietly, looking first at the video camera her husband had bought and then to his face.  
>"It sure is. You don't get memories back, Delia," he told her with a smile in his voice. She sighed and looked down at their sleeping eight week old baby. He lay on his back, completely straight.<br>"That's true... they grow up so fast," she observed, tenderness in her eyes. 'Alright, you can start filming now."  
>"I have been for a while," he chuckled quietly. Delia's eyes narrowed.<br>"You better be kidding," she warned in a deadly voice, stroking the thin, barely there locks of black hair that their son had.

"I'm not. You look beautiful, honey." She growled and glanced up at him.  
>"I look like a tired mother," she retorted. Her free hand went to her hip.<br>"That's because you are a tired mother," Jackson Ketchum said, gesturing to the mussed hair and bags under her eyes. "But that only makes you more beautiful." Now he pointed to her eyes, which glowed despite the circles, her figure, which had blossomed into motherhood before their eyes and finally to her lips, which were almost always smiling now. They curved into a soft smile as he made his point. "You're more gorgeous than any perky young woman."

"Thank you, dear," she said simply, face showing the power of his words. "You're too kind to me."  
>"Because I love you, my silly woman," he replied, setting the camera down on the Chansey changing table and wrapping his arms around her waist. "And look who's awake to agree with me," he added, smiling as their son began squirming. His face contorted as he began to cry. Letting go of Delia, Jackson watched her bend, lift Ash out of his cot and settle back into his arms.<br>"Hey, Ash," she cooed, joy radiating throughout her body. "My little miracle..."

"Our little miracle," Jackson corrected, kissing Ash's face. He continued to cry, staring imploringly into his eyes. "I think someone's hungry." They both chuckled at that.  
>"I'll handle that. Turn the camera off, okay? I'm not showing our son that."<br>"Neither am I." Turning to face the camera, Jackson smiled. His eyes, so similar to Ash's, crinkled; wrinkles fanning out slightly on the older man's face. "I love you, my Ashy boy."

* * *

><p>Ash's eyes were filled with tears as he heard his father's voice say those words.<br>"Ash..." Misty watched from the doorway sorrowfully. "It's okay."  
>"He never came back, Mist," he replied, lowering his head. Pikachu snuggled against his side, trying to offer comfort.<br>"Pika Pi," he sighed.  
>"Thanks, buddy." Ash absently stroked the electric mouse's head, eyes still downcast. "Why didn't he come back, Mist?"<p>

"I don't know," the sofa creaked as she sat next to him, "but it's obvious that he didn't want to go. It's okay," she repeated softly, sitting her hand on his shoulder. Ash looked up slowly, wiping away the tears that had seeped from his eyes. They locked onto wild orange bangs that had never been outgrown, a small mouth that could make you want to run like a Tauros and finally two blue eyes that were always animated. Misty was always full of emotion, good and bad.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, trying to smile at his girlfriend. "I'm a baby." She smiled and stroked his cheek, wiping away the tears that he'd smeared on his face.  
>"You're my baby. Get it right. And my idiot," she joked.<br>"And you're just crazy." Her eyes narrowed. "Kidding," he added hastily. "You're my mermaid."  
>"Pika!"<br>"And you're my best friend," Ash laughed as Pikachu sat in his lap. He jumped up, placing his paws on Ash's chest and trying in vain to lick Ash's cheek. Ash laughed louder, squirming under the light pressure.  
>"Quit it!"Misty laughed too at the spectacle.<p>

* * *

><p>"Mimey," the couple heard as they passed the kitchen, "I'm not trying to-"<br>"-Mime, Mime!" Mimey insisted. Professor Oak gasped and the sound of a door being shut could be heard. Ash and Misty looked at each other, hands in their mouths to stop them from laughing outright at what they were hearing. Ash could picture the professor's appalled face as Mimey warded him away from the fridge with waving hands. "Mime!"  
>"Yes, it's nearly lunch, Mimey. Good grief," Delia laughed. "You're worse than Ash was as a child." Ash abruptly stopped laughing. His hand fell from his mouth and his face burned. As he opened his mouth to object, Misty kissed him. Her hands clasped his cheeks and her eyes closed comfortably. A startled Ash quickly relaxed into the unexpected kiss.<p>

"Ash just raided the fridge," commented Gary. Breaking away, Ash's face darkened. As he turned, Misty kissed his cheek and rolled her eyes at Ash's sudden attention on the boy perched on the kitchen table.  
>"Gary," his grandfather reminded him for the umpteenth time, "manners."<br>"Geez, gramps, calm down," complained the spiky haired teenager, sliding off said table. "I could be doing worse, you know." Samuel's face darkened while Ash and Misty turned white.  
>"Eww..." they moaned quietly.<br>"He is disgusting!" Misty hissed under her breath. Ash grabbed her hand and looked ready to throw up.

"Yes, I'm aware... shouldn't you be helping Brock round up the Pokémon?" Gary grinned mockingly.  
>"Very discreet, gramps. Don't get up to mischief," he waggled his fingers and winked as he wandered out the door. "Old lovebirds. Oh hey, new lovebirds having an eavesdrop," he laughed, waggling his fingers in front of Ash's face. "Naughty."<br>"Shut up, Gary," Misty retorted, blazing up. "I swear..."  
>"Sorry, carrot. Smell you both later," he called. Ash flipped the bird as Delia rounded the corner.<br>"Ash!" she growled, staring ferociously at the finger. He hastily put it down again as Misty simmered over the carrot comment. "Don't make me break that finger..."

"Sorry," he said quickly. Quirking his brow, he continued with, "Are we ready yet? I'm hungry." his stomach rumbled at that moment, causing his girlfriend to snap out of her irritation and roll her eyes.  
>"You have no manners," she complained. Ash blushed.<br>"I do too!"  
>"Do not!"<br>"Do too!"  
>"From where, a barn?"<br>"Children, that's enough," Samuel laughed, ruining the effect that he was trying to pull off. He couldn't act like a stern grandfather today.

"Sorry," both said in unison after sharing a glance. They blushed and linked hands again.  
>"We're ready now anyway, Ash. Can you go tell the others?" he brightened, nodded and straightened his cap.<br>"Okay. C'mon, Misty!" the young couple ran back through the door, hand in hand –or rather, Misty made a complaint as Ash dragged her through the door.


	11. IkariShipping

_-My Life Would Suck Without You- (IkariShipping)  
>Requested by: PHOEBEZLAMENSTUPIDAZBRAH and Tyra.<em>

_**I'm hoping this will do as a 'slight little' breakup song. To answer a reviewer, it's not too late to request a pairing. It's no longer limited to fourteen pairings... happy early Valentine's Day, everyone. ;}**_

* * *

><p>"<em>Get out!" she screamed, throwing his jacket at him with a furious expression on her face. "How dare you say that to me?" she'd love to hit him right now. He glared at her and stormed out, slamming the door on his way out. She slid to the floor and began to cry, slamming her fists onto the carpet.<em>

**Guess this means you're sorry  
>You're standing at my door<br>**

The knocking woke her from her light sleep. Sitting up on the couch, she blearily rubbed her eyes and sighed. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that it was Paul, wanting to apologize.  
><em>Should she forgive him this time?<em> She wondered as she crossed the room.  
>"What do you want?" she sighed, staring through the stained glass. He was almost lounging on the little staircase leading to her apartment. "I don't want to talk..."<p>

"Think, Dawn. Why else would I be on your doorstep at three o'clock in the morning?" he asked sarcastically. His tone softened as he continued with, "Look, I _am_ sorry, okay? Now let me in, it's freezing." She unlocked the door and let him in. True to his word, it was snowing outside. Bits of snow clung to his jacket and lay in his hair. A single daisy sat in his hand.

**Guess this means you take back  
>All you said before<strong>

_He could be so cruel with his taunts and his insults. She couldn't compare with her weak comebacks and they both knew it- it didn't hurt to be called a jerk, even if it was screamed in your face.  
>Combined with his smirk and cold purple eyes, he could both rip and burn Dawn's heart at once.<em>

"Look at me," he requested. Dawn turned her head and refused to look at him.  
>"You stuffed up," she informed him. He sighed. "And don't roll your eyes..."<br>"Who said I did or was going to?" he asked, smirk in his voice. She span on her heel, eyes angry, but softened at the teasing smirk on his face. "Don't you feel stupid now," Paul remarked teasingly. She couldn't help but roll her eyes and laugh a little. "Especially with your hair..."  
>"If it helps you sleep at night," she replied with an exasperated smile as she absently put a hand to her mussed blue hair. He smiled back as she took the daisy from him. "You did screw up though." His smile slipped as he sighed.<br>"Yes, I know... I'm not going to grovel."  
>"I wouldn't want you to anyway." Their eyes met. "You'd look stupid..."<p>

**Like how much you wanted  
>Anyone but me<strong>

"_You're a bitch," he snarled at his defiant girlfriend. "Give me back my damn keys!"  
>"Why should I?" she demanded, putting them behind her back. "I'm not holiday inn, Paul!" again he tried to pry the keys out of her grip, only to fail. For a small girl, she was surprisingly strong.<br>"No, you're just a bitch," he replied through gritted teeth. "Why must you be so damn complicated?" he asked suddenly, pointing a finger at her. She froze and her scowl slipped slightly. "I'd love an uncomplicated relationship __**for once.**__" Unblinking, she threw the keys at his face and stormed off. "See what I mean?" he called angrily, massaging a now stinging cheek. "Anyone but you..."_

"Really?" he asked, brow furrowing. "I think so too. I never grovel."  
>"Only over the last slice of pizza," she laughed. His eyes hardened as he turned his head.<br>"Not even then," he lied. "Let's get to business again... I didn't mean what I said."  
>"Pardon?" Dawn asked, putting a hand to her ear. He groaned.<br>"Don't start again..." her face crumpled in hurt.  
>"I wasn't," she said quietly. "I couldn't hear you..."<p>

**I know that I've got issues  
>But you're pretty messed up too<strong>

"_Dawnie, you love me," Paul said, mockingly blowing her a kiss. "Don't forget that..."  
>"What?" she was genuinely confused. Paul's mood changed all the time in an almost bipolar fashion. One minute he could be looking down his nose at her, the next he could be teasing her. Once he'd even forgotten that they were fighting because 'Goldie the Goldeen died'. The last one she was sure was a joke, though.<br>"I know you have daddy issues, but I'm not going anywhere," he continued, purple eyes boring into hers. "Now go and make me a sandwich?"  
>"Ass." He smiled at her and raised his glass.<em>

**Either way, I found out I'm nothing without you**

"Okay, then I'm sorry. I love you," he said, looking into her eyes. His expression was completely serious. It said what he didn't say- that he meant it.  
>"I love you too." She gave him a similar look- one that made him smile.<br>"That's my girl," he approved. "Piplup."  
>"We're starting on that again?" she asked with a laugh. "I've told you, you can't be the empoleon to my piplup."<p>

"Why?" he groaned comically as she sat on his lap. His expression was so mockingly upset that she had to laugh again. "Piplups are weak. Womanlike," he added, appraising her. "Empoleons are-"  
>"-womanlike, too. They look like mothers." Paul rolled his eyes and smiled.<br>"Whatever. My life would suck without you... I'd have no one to slap me every time I called someone weak." The sincerity in his words shone through his eyes, despite the sarcastic tone.  
>"My life would suck without you too, babe," she replied, her head on his neck.<br>"Enough mushy talk, my head is going to explode."  
>"Would you rather a kiss instead?" she asked with a giggle. He didn't need a second invitation.<p>

**'Cause we belong together now, yeah  
>Forever united here somehow, yeah<br>You got a piece of me  
>And honestly,<br>My Life (My Life) Would Suck (Would Suck) Without You  
><strong>


	12. PearlShipping

_-Best Night of My Life- (PearlShipping)  
>Requested by: cobylori4ever and AshKetchumDarkSide.<em>

_**If you haven't seen Pikachu and Pichu (or any of the shorts involving Big Town), I recommend that you watch them before reading this. I'm sorry if this sucks, I got really stuck for this chapter.**_

* * *

><p>"No peeking," Ash repeated, snapping his fingers shut over Dawn's eyes. With a barely concealed laugh at her sigh, he continued to walk her to their destination. The warm suit that he wore made him feel like a businessman of some sort. They were all dressed up. Even Pikachu had a little suit on.<br>"Sorry," she apologized. Her dress rustled softly as she held onto his arm for support. Passing another alleyway, she wrinkled her nose. "It's just... we've been traveling so much for the last couple of days. I don't know where we are."  
>"It's a surprise, silly. You'll see soon," Ash promised with a smile. She smiled too and squeezed his arm. "Pikachu?" he asked, looking back over his shoulder. Both he and Dawn stopped. "Are you coming?" his electric mouse seemed to be in his own little world, staring into the alleyway with a dazed expression on his face.<p>

"What is it? Is Pikachu okay?" Dawn asked, frowning.  
>"Yeah, he's fine. Just remembering," Ash replied as Pikachu jolted himself back into awareness.<br>"Pika pi," Pikachu apologized sheepishly as he ran on all fours towards them. "Piiika?"  
>"It's okay buddy. I remember my surprise for you, too," Ash assured him, idly fiddling with the cap he was allowed to wear. "It's weird coming back for so long... Especially without Misty."<p>

"Misty came here?" Dawn asked, surprise and confusion entering her voice. "When?"  
>"Oh, man. It was" -he scrunched his face up in concentration- "a few years ago. Sometime in June. We came to celebrate our anniversary." Oblivious to Dawn's changing expressions, he continued with, "We'd been together for about a year. Right, Pikachu?"<br>"Pika-chu!" he agreed, jumping on the spot earnestly. "Pika! Chu chu!"  
>"Oh. Okay, then..." Dawn bit her lip and looked away. Suddenly, she wasn't sure what she was going to see at Ash's 'surprise'. Ash frowned at her tone.<p>

"What's wrong?" he asked, concernedly pulling her closer. "It was before I met you."  
>"I'm hoping so," she muttered to herself. Her face was becoming as white as her hat.<br>"What?"  
>"Nothing. We better keep going," she lied, stepping forward again. Her heart had sunk to unknown depths in her chest. She bit harder down on her lip to prevent any tears from falling. Ash shared another confused glance with Pikachu before continuing on.<p>

* * *

><p>"Nearly there," Ash said again, looking wistfully at the Pokémon fountains. "Time stops here. They're perfect," he observed. Dawn had said nothing since she continued walking- a fact that Ash was rapidly growing worried about. "Dawn?"<br>"What?" she asked in a toneless voice.  
>"Are you okay?" she turned her head to the side so that he could only see her cheek.<br>"I'm fine," she replied.  
>"Why are you lying?" Ash asked quietly, stepping in front of her. Removing his hands from her eyes, he slowly slid them down her cheeks. She took in the sight with a gasp, eyes widening as she realized where they were.<br>"Is this..."  
>"It is," he confirmed as she smiled with delight. "Welcome to Big Town." With a starry expression in her eyes, she turned to look at him again- only to have her delight fade. "Dawn..."<br>"I love it, I do, Ash... but..." she didn't know how to phrase this without sounding over dramatic.  
>"But what?" he wondered, confusion returning.<br>_Women._ He just couldn't understand them like Brock did.  
>"Misty came here first. This was your spot," she settled with, stating this quietly. Ash shook his head as the realization hit him.<p>

"Woah! I didn't mean that- I see Misty as my sister!" he blurted, crossing out her assumptions with his hands. "We came for me and Pikachu's anniversary. Not me and Misty's! I like someone-"  
>"-Pikachu," Pikachu intervened with a roll of his eyes and a flick of his tail. "Pi." Relief hit Dawn like a brick. As her hopes revived in her, she eagerly asked, "So... there was nothing between you two?" Ash shook his head again, blushing as furiously as she now was.<br>"No way," he vowed. "I promise."  
>"I'm sorry for thinking like that... and I spoiled your surprise," she replied guiltily, embracing him. "Sorry, Ash."<br>"It's okay," he mumbled back into her ear. "Uh... we should keep going, huh?" pulling back, he gave her an awkward smile before tilting his hat.  
>"Lead the way," she said, offering him her hand and smiling again at Pikachu's statement.<p>

"I'm gonna cover your eyes again, okay?" Ash inquired, sliding a sweaty hand out of her own. She nodded. "Okay." His hands returned to her eyes as a head of hair as blue as Dawn's stood up and walked towards them. "Hi," he mouthed, waving to her and the small crowd awaiting them.  
>"Hey," she mouthed back with a wink. In a loud voice, she exclaimed, "Hello, dear." Dawn stiffened with surprise. Her Buneary sat atop her Mamoswine; stiffling her giggles with her paw.<p>

"Mom? What are you doing here?" she began to struggle, trying to lift Ash's hand away from her face.  
>"Took ya long enough," another voice added impatiently.<br>"_Barry?_"  
>"Dee-Dee! It's been too long!" two voices chimed in.<br>"Okay, let me see!" Dawn protested after wincing at the use of the dreaded nickname. As Ash took his hands away, she gasped again before running to greet everyone. Her friends (and rivals) all sat in front of a majestic skyscraper, wide grins on their faces. Kenny laughed at her reaction as she crushed Barry into a hug.  
>"What, did you think you'd get rid of us, Dee?" he asked, smirking as she began to huff and look embarrassed.<br>"Shut up," she requested as Barry began to complain of crushed ribs. As he opened his mouth to rant, she hugged her ginger haired best friend instead.  
>"Let it go," Paul advised him, watching the spectacle with amusement. "Seriously." Barry looked at his idol and rolled his eyes before squaring his shoulders.<br>"Manning up," he replied as she hugged Kenny next. "Did Ash invite all of Sinnoh or something? MAN!"  
>"Eh. Dawn's happy," Zoey said, waving her sunglasses. She, unlike the other ladies in attendance, wore a red suit for the formal occasion.<br>"Yeah... why are you in a suit, anyway? Girls don't wear men's clothes!" Barry scolded, appraising her. Paul crossed his arms and continued to watch. "Seriously." Zoey laughed unashamedly.  
>"Because I don't like girly dresses. You got a problem with that?" Barry's eyes flared.<br>"Maybe I do, man-lady."  
>"'Man lady', huh?"<p>

Before Barry could think of a reply, Ash raised his voice.  
>"Okay, everyone. Let's go inside!"<p>

* * *

><p>Upon entry, the party stopped dead in their tracks as Dawn let out a small squeal of delight. The room resembled an old ballroom, complete with brightly lit golden chandeliers and a shiny wooden floor. Comfortable looking black seats sat around the edges, accompanied by light pink colored tables.<br>"This- this is for me?" she asked, eyes filling with tears. "Really?"  
>"Yeah," Ash said nervously. Tugging at his collar, he looked at her. She looked beautiful in her cream colored dress. She wore no jewellery or make up; the only accessories she wore were crystal hair clips and a wide smile. "Do you like it?" she nodded ecstatically.<br>"Yes! How did you know?" she asked, gesturing around the room. "How did you know that this is what I wanted for my sixteenth birthday party?"  
>"Your mom. She helped me organize this for you," he replied as music began to play. Kenny offered his hand to Leona, who took it with a smile. "And, y'know... I've been everywhere," he added as an afterthought. "I wanted to give you a good birthday present."<br>"Thank you," she said softly, hugging him. "This is amazing..."  
>"It's okay. Anything for you," he told her. "Wanna dance?" Ash was far from a graceful dancer, but he was willing to forget that for tonight. She took his hand as they parted, amidst a loud outbreak of wolf whistling and cheers.<p>

"I can't dance formally," Dawn confessed with a laugh as she carefully wrapped her arms around his neck. "I have two left feet."  
>"I can't dance, period... I put my hands here, right?"<br>"Yeah." The duo spun slowly in a circle, looking into each other's eyes and occasionally giggling.  
>"This isn't bad," he remarked. "So much for having two left feet."<br>"Just wait until you see me try to tango," she retorted teasingly. "I look like a..."  
>"...crazed Buneary?" he supplied for her, inclining his head towards a funny sight. Both laughed at the sight of Buneary chasing Pikachu around, sliding on the polished floor in an attempt to knock him over. Pikachu looked frantically at Ash before hiding behind Paul. Buneary cackled and snuck up on him from behind, hugging him tightly.<br>"Exactly like a crazed Buneary," she admitted as Pikachu let out a loud squeal. "Poor guy. She really likes him."  
>"Hurry up and kiss already!" called Barry and Leona.<p>

"What are you, her parents? Geez!" exclaimed Zoey, rolling her eyes. Joanna looked ready to laugh at her words. "But, seriously, Ash..."  
>"Guys!" Ash complained, shooting them horrified looks. "Not now!"<br>"Hey, I'm just saying." Dawn looked quickly to the heavens, suddenly determined. As Ash turned his head, she leaned forward, catching him off guard as their lips met. His eyes widened in surprise as the room began to cheer again.

"Yeah, Dee-Dee!"  
>"That's my girl!"<br>"Dawn, you're gonna suffocate him," Barry shouted over the music. "I haven't had my rematch yet!" Ash looked at her as they parted, hand flying away from her waist and to his mouth. Dawn looked at him, smiling nervously.  
>"Uh... was that okay?" she asked, giggling. The crowd grew silent again.<br>"Yeah," Ash admitted with a chuckle. "Happy birthday, Dawn." She beamed and kissed him again as he twirled her around.


	13. WishfulShipping

_-The Perfect Blend- (WishfulShipping)  
>Requested by: giselle.<em>

Cilian watched Iris with a small frown, pondering an old philosophy that he and his brothers had been brought up with. The phrase had become a regular one in his household by the time he was five years old.  
><em>"In order to create the perfect blend, one must find and perfect the balance."<em>  
>If that was the case, where was the balance in Iris? The wild haired girl in question was swinging from overhead vines, a wide smile on her small face. She could act like a mature adult so easily that it was easy to forget her young age. In fact, it threw people off guard to remember that they were talking to a ten year old about dragon type Pokémon. Other times, she well and truly acted her age. Such as now, he mused. She'd halted their conversation in its tracks as soon as she'd seen those vines. Within seconds she'd scrambled up a tree.<p>

"Doesn't she get tired?" Ash asked, sitting beside him. "And are those Reeces?" he added, hungrily eyeing the peanut butter cups sitting on the green haired leader's bag. "Can I have one?"  
>"I don't think so," Cilan replied, only hearing the first question. He continued to watch Iris intently as she jumped to the next vine with ease, laughing to herself. "She's enjoying herself," he finally added with a smile. Ash nodded as his stomach began to rumble. "Mm... Iris, can you hurry up? I'm starving," he called, crossing his arms. Iris swang to the next vine undeterred, looking lazily down at the two boys.<p>

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be down in a second," she replied, jumping down from the vine. Cilan leapt up, alarmed. It may be a small drop, but she could be seriously injured! She dropped to the ground as he reached her, landing in a light, almost Liepard like crouch. The impact bounced off her heels as she looked up at him, grinning mischievously.  
>"You worry too much," she told him as he bent down next to her. "I'm fine. I do this all the time."<br>"Are you sure? You could have injured yourself..." Cilan replied, anxiety in his voice. Ash stood a few steps back, watching with concern filled eyes.  
>"Yeah, I know... Sorry for making you worry. I'm fine," she repeated seriously, laying her hand on his.<p>

As she did, he couldn't help but notice how the light looked on her fine brown skin, which was as brown as his favorite blend of coffee. Her eyes, only a few shades darker, always betrayed her feelings. For the first few months of their travels, she'd lied about a few things... it had taken Ash longer to realize this, but she hadn't fooled Cilan. He'd seen the mistrust and fear as she spoke so 'confidently'. Her gaze faltered slightly under his own, snapping him back to reality. Both awkwardly looked away as her hand slid from his now lax grip.

"How about a battle after lunch?" Iris asked Ash. Her tone was noticeably shaken.  
>"Sure. Let's eat first," he suggested, looking between the two of them curiously. "Cilan brought Reeces." Her head lifted to reveal nervously eager eyes as she looked at the eldest boy. He gave her an immediate smile which confused him even more.<br>"I did," he confirmed. "They're..." his voice trailed off as Iris raced towards his bag, Ash in hot pursuit.

* * *

><p>"These are soo good," Iris gushed as she swallowed another peanut butter cup. "But, they're known by a different name back home."<br>"What are they called?" Ash asked through a mouthful. Cilan raised his eyebrows at his lack of manners. Iris shrugged and picked up another one. Beside Ash, Pikachu nibbled on an apple.  
>"'Pe-bu's,'" she replied with an almost cocky smile. "I remember back when I was younger, I'd get one for each battle I won."<p>

"'Pe-bu's?'" Cilan couldn't help but ask, nibbling his own butter cup delicately. "I've never heard of that name."  
>"I made it up," she said with another shrug, biting into her 'pe-bu'. "Because of my streak, it became popular with everyone." A little of her ego had slipped into those four sentences.<br>"Interesting." Cilan was impressed by her increasing willingness to share her personal stories. She'd been hesitant to even reveal her favorite foods before.

"Cool," Ash said with a grin. "Maybe one day, people will nickname their foods after me." Iris rolled her eyes, caught up in her ego.  
>"Ash, you've got a long way to go until that. You're still a rookie."<br>"Hey, I've been to four other regions!" he complained, eyes flaring.  
>"Yeah, but your Pikachu got his butt handed to him by a level <em>five<em> Snivy," she reminded him, dusting off her cream and pink dress as she stood up. A Pokéball was cupped into her hand, already enlarged. As Pikachu looked scandalized, Ash whipped his own out, staring at her with heat filled eyes. Both called their Pokémon's names at the same time.

* * *

><p>"Tranquil, I choose you!"<br>"Let's go, Emolga!" the bird and flying mouse Pokémon appeared, flapping their wings ecstatically.  
>"Quick attack!" commanded Ash, pointing his finger in the air. Tranquil was a barely visable blur as she flew towards Emolga, suddenly tackling her.<br>"Emolga!" she squeaked, looking nervously at the other female. Tranquil returned her stare evenly.  
>"Discharge, Emolga!" the tri-colored electric Pokémon glowed with sudden electricity. Flying forward with a cry, she released the electricity. It hit Tranquil, causing her to drop suddenly with a cry. After a minute she recovered herself, returning to her original height after a quick look back at Ash. Cilan watched with interest, mind whirling.<p>

"Quick attack again!"  
>"Use Hidden Power... now!" the green light bounced into Tranquil's chest just after she slammed into Emolga again. Both cried out as Tranquil's feathers began to glow ominously. She writhed in pain as static raced through her.<br>"Oh no!" Ash winced, disliking the sight. Iris began to grin.  
>"Good job, Emolga!" she praised. Ash's face hardened.<p>

"Return, Tranquil," he called, holding up his ball. Before his Pokémon could protest, she was back in the ball. Lowering his hand, he produced another ball and threw it to the ground. "Go, Snivy!" the lithe green female blinked as she emerged from the red light, assessing the opposing Pokémon coolly.  
>"Alright, Em- wait, what are you doing?" Emolga stiffened as she saw her sometimes-disliked companion. Glowing with electricity again, she flew towards her- clipping the side of her head with her arm as Snivy slid out of the way. She disappeared almost instantly, leaving Iris shaking her head.<br>"Oh, Emolga," she sighed before placing her battle face back on. "Okay... Excadrill! Let's go!" the first Pokémon she caught nearly flew out of his ball, confidence clear in his mole-like face.

"Use leaf storm, Snivy!" Ash called.  
>"Sniii-vyyy!" she replied, sending multiple leaves flying towards Excadrill. He took the attack with a sharp look to Iris. Already he was awaiting a battle command.<br>"Metal claw!" he raced towards Snivy, drill like hands glowing as he swiped out at her. She attempted to leap out of the way again but had her stomach slashed. Grimacing, she bared her teeth at the male. Determination was written all over her usually reserved face.  
>"Vine whip!" vines emerged from behind her arms, slapping his face in succession.<p>

"Metal claw again!" the two locked together- vines and claws pressed against each other. Snivy slid backwards as the heavier ground Pokémon pressed his claws against her but refused to give in.  
>"Leaf blade! Be careful that he doesn't cut your vines!" instructed Ash.<br>"Yeah, please be careful, okay?" Iris added. Excadrill inclined his head in the slightest before returning his focus. That slight inclination was all that Snivy needed.

More leaves burst from her body as the vines receded. Excadrill staggered, leaning forward to receive a blade-shaped punch of grass. The almost colonial leaf attack sent him flying backwards.  
>"Excadrill!" Iris called in dismay. Cilan noted the pain in her face as she recalled the poor Pokémon.<p>

* * *

><p>"Yes! I win!" Ash cheered, pumping his fist. Pikachu cheered with him, any bad feelings towards Iris forgotten.<br>"She still has Axew and Emolga," Cilan called as Iris held out her hand.  
>"Yeah, but Emolga is pretty much done for today. Axew needs rest from yesterday," she replied, wiping some sweat from her forehead. "You won this time, rookie." Ash laughed tolerantly.<br>"Good match," he said appreciatively.  
>"You too." Iris sat beside Cilan, accidentally brushing her bushy hair against his shoulder. "Cilan, can I have a drink, please? I'm parched," she requested, looking imploringly at him. "We both are."<p>

"Of course. I took the liberty of doing so when you two were battling," he said with a smile, handing them both a cup of water. Iris beamed at him, looking absolutely radiant.  
>"Thanks! You think of everything."<br>"You're welcome, and thank you. I try to," he replied modestly. Her praise made him feel a little giddy, as had the look in her eyes.  
>"We better keep going after this," Ash decided. Cilan nodded with agreement, getting to his feet.<br>"Yeah... Is it okay if I quickly just do something?" Iris asked, looking suddenly childlike. "I- uh- have to... you know." Both boys understood immediately.  
>"Yeah. A bathroom break sounds good," Ash approved, finishing his water. "Thanks, Cilan."<br>"No problem. And it does."

"Where is she?" Ash asked a short time later. "I thought she was only going to the bathroom?" Cilan frowned, glancing towards the way their companion had gone.  
>"So did I... I'll go find her. Do you want to stay here?" Ash looked very uncomfortable and slightly disgusted, confirming the green haired boy's thoughts. "Okay. We'll be back in a second."<br>"Pika," Pikachu replied for Ash.

* * *

><p>Walking slowly, Cilan really hoped that Iris had finished her business. It wasn't exactly something anyone wanted to walk in on. Glancing over to the nearest tree, he paused. The small, red leaves looked vibrant and full.<br>_Possible tea leaves?_ He wondered, reaching over to pluck a few from their branch. They were soft to touch, almost as soft as Pikachu's fur. _As soft as Iris's hair._ Lifting the leaves to his nose, he inhaled. A sweet, apple-like odour wafted into his nostrils. _Worth a try, _he decided with a smile, picking some more and placing them into a special compartment of his bag.

"What are you doing?" he nearly dropped the bag at the unexpected voice. Whirling around, he saw Iris watching him with a confused expression. "And where were you guys?"  
>"I went looking for you. Ash is still at our meeting point. Where were you?" he replied, recovering from his shock. Unexpected and unexplained paranormal... things (yes, he decided, that was a good word to describe that) terrified him. Her expression abruptly changed to nervousness.<br>"I lost you guys," she lied. Cilan shook his head.

"No," he corrected her gently, "that's not it." His long fingers accentuated his words. She shook her head back at him.  
>"Yes it is," she insisted. "I just went the wrong way, that's all."<br>"You are a horrible liar," he remarked. Her shoulders slumped.  
>"Alright, you caught me... I was looking at myself," she admitted meekly, staring up at him through her hair. "Just my face. I look older."<br>"How so?" Cilan asked. "You don't look older to me." She rolled her eyes.

"You're a guy."  
>"And you're ten."<br>"...So? I look like I'm twelve or something!" something ferocious stirred in her eyes. Defiance, maybe? "I'm old looking already."  
>"I'm twelve," he told her with a small laugh. "Honestly, I don't know why you're worrying. You look fine, Iris." She didn't look convinced.<br>"I want to stay young," she revealed quietly. "I don't want to grow up."  
>"You're going to have to," he said in the same gentle tone. "But I know what you mean."<br>"Really?" she still didn't look convinced as he nodded.

* * *

><p>"Yeah... I inherited the gym with my brothers on our tenth birthday. Our parents wanted to retire 'gracefully'...and yes, I know how that sounds," he added as she shot him a look, "but they were fairly old when we were born. I didn't want to be a leader at that time. I just wanted to play with my Pansage... Out of all of us, Cress was the only one willing to take the proper position as leader. He's the oldest triplet and by far the most mature. He always has been. Chili just wanted to battle... but back then, he couldn't handle being defeated. " Here, he flinched at past memories. "But we couldn't run away and we didn't want to hurt our parents. So, we took the positions. Pansage and I grew stronger and Chili eventually learned to mask his temper. " Coming back from a great distance, Cilan concluded with, "and so it's been since then." Iris sighed at the conclusion.<p>

"Your paths were determined before you were born," she said sadly. Cilan nodded.  
>"Yes, but I don't regret that. I might miss being a child, but I couldn't ask for a better experience, family or friends." She considered this and nodded.<br>"You're you," she said simply, looking fascinated at this new revelation. "It's what made you, you." He smiled and nodded again. Suddenly, the old philosophy clicked back into place. This time, it had a new meaning to it. One that he was only now realizing to be the true meaning.  
>"Exactly right." She smiled back at him and took his hand boldly. He looked on as she continued to smile. He felt unsure again as he began to sweat.<p>

"Thanks for telling me that... maybe growing up isn't going to be too bad." He could only nod. Did she see that? "But, we should enjoy ourselves now, don't you think?" she smirked. Heat rushed to his face at her implications.  
>"What?" he finally managed. His voice sounded strange. She rolled her eyes and giggled.<br>"I'm going to teach you how to swing on vines," she explained. Some form of disappointment wafted through his chest at that.  
>"Is that safe?" he asked as she walked him to the vines. "And isn't Ash going to worry?"<br>"The vines will take us to Ash," she promised. Without warning, she grazed her lips against cheek. He made a strange noise and looked at her. She looked... curious and a little shy.

"Did I get it right?" she asked, looking a little shocked at her own boldness. "Burgundy said it went like that."  
>"I think so," he managed through a mouth that didn't want to talk properly. She licked her lips contemplatively before bursting into a smile.<br>"Your skin tastes like candy," she replied, obviously relieved. "I like candy."  
>"I like you?" Cilan admitted. He felt so flustered. A little sure now, but very flustered. His head seemed to be in the clouds.<br>"Duh," she laughed, squeezing his hand. "I like you, too."

* * *

><p>"<em>The perfect blend is sometimes right in front of your eyes. And it's even better when it isn't changed." <em>


	14. FerrisWheelShipping

_Powers of a Goddess (FerrisWheelShipping)  
>Requested by: Ai-chan, Brazil10, Paramorepokefreak and Gloria Spark.<em>

_Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!_

* * *

><p>He stood patiently in the darkness, surrounded by a small group of Joltik. They looked up at him in united adoration; even toppling over each other to stand on his shoes. The sight of N filled all Pokémon with awe and trust, it seemed.<br>_"I'm sorry," _one apologized as her hairs brushed against his jean cladded calf. _"I-I didn't mean any offense, great one."_

"Think nothing of it," he replied absently, kneeling down to touch her yellow head. The electricity buzzed against his fingers, but he didn't mind. Instead, he stared ahead, heart pounding as he heard faint footsteps coming in this direction. _  
>White, <em>he thought happily. _Finally. _The chattering of the other Joltik grew louder as the one N had touched hummed in contentment.

_"You were touched by the chosen one! You're blessed, young one!"_ an elder enthused, jumping around as much as he could.  
><em>"Indeed! That must be a sign of greater things!"<em> another cheered. The others weren't as happy for their comrade.  
><em>"That isn't fair. Lord N, please stroke me," <em>a little girl wheedled, pressing her pointy feet against his knee. _"I'm a good girl."  
>"Pah! You hoarded food without permission," <em>scoffed a boy. _"He should stroke me!"_ the young female Joltik clicked angrily at the offender, casting very angry eyes onto him.  
><em>"It was a gumball! And NO! LORD N SHOULD STROKE ME!"<br>"No, ME!"_

"Please be silent," N requested with slight impatience. "I'm sorry dear ones, but I need to hear this." The clicking and chattering abruptly ceased. Crestfallen, the little girl sighed.  
><em>"I'm sorry, my lord," <em>she apologized, hanging her head.  
>"It's alright," he promised, stroking her pincers with his little finger. She squealed in delight, causing a smile to break across his lips.<br>_"I'm blessed! Thank you, Lord N!"_ she squealed, head butting his finger affectionately. Her pointy feet tapped rapidly against his knee as she reveled in the moment.

_"Hush! Another approaches!" _the elders spoke sharply, scuttling away. _"Come, young one!"  
>"Aww... bye. I hope we meet again,"<em> she said regretfully, dropping back to all fours. _"Thank you again."_ He waved in farewell before crossing his legs. His heart began to pound as the footsteps grew even closer.  
><em>Here she comes... my rival. <em>The title was thought in an_ almost affectionate _way._  
><em>

* * *

><p>After a short wait, he could hear her short, even breaths. Anticipation raced through him as she came into view, illuminated by the light of an electrically charged crystal. In that light, she looked like a goddess. Her chestnut colored hair shone brightly, almost as if it itself was electrically charged. Her porcelain skin glowed faintly like the moon. Only her lips and eyes were visible.<br>_She is a vision of beauty, _he thought in awe. Transfixed, he watched her adjust her tiny shorts, listening closely to the soft sound of denim rustling. _I have to have her... she's the one._

Swallowing loudly in the sudden silence, he continued to watch her. She was staring at the crystal with what appeared to be a frown on her face. Hesitantly, she slowly stretched her hand out to it. Pushed it. Exhaled when it didn't move. Pushed it again, this time with more force. He had to frown when she began to ram into the crystal like a Bouffolant. It obviously wasn't going to move... and it wasn't the right crystal anyhow!  
>Females were a very strange race, he thought to himself, crossing his arms.<p>

She scowled at the crystal and examined it, touching all crevices gently before trying to push it again. This time, she lost her balance and fell to the ground with a shriek. As she did, N jumped to his feet.

"Wrong crystals," he said casually. She flinched and turned to look at him, pure annoyance in her eyes. The look he received made him flinch and nearly drop his extended hand.  
>"What do you want?" she demanded roughly, scowling. Her blue eyes sent chills down his spine as she glared at him. "I'm busy."<br>"Didn't you listen to what your friend said?" N asked calmly, noticing her surprise as he mentioned Bianca. "Yes, the crystals may move, but you're pushing the wrong ones. The smaller ones are the ones that you're after." Realization crossed her face as she placed her palm over it.

"Are you stalking me or something? Actually... I'm not surprised," she corrected herself after removing her palm. "You are, aren't you?"  
>"I'm not sure what you mean by stalking... but yes, I follow you," N admitted coyly. "You're very interesting to watch, Whitlea." Her eyes bugged out of her head.<p>

"And you're fricking creepy," she retorted, stepping backwards. "Stay away," she added as he stepped forward, laughing in an almost childlike way. "This isn't funny!"  
>"Why are you so worried? I don't watch you change or anything. I won't let anyone permit that." She calmed a little at that but remained guarded. "Especially the Triad. By my law, anyone who disrespects you is dismissed..." he stepped forward again, bemused by her reactions. While calming from her initial anger, she refused to be close to him. Why was that?<p>

"Comforting... how long have you been watching me?" she asked slowly, backing away again. "And I mean it. Stay the hell back or I'll-"  
>"-there isn't anything you can do. Your friends" –he titled his head and listened intently for footsteps- "are on the other side of the cave. The only people in this particular area are you and I."<br>"I-I can fight," she said, looking like a Pokémon as she clenched her fists. N halted in his tracks and felt his face fall. She was acting like his friends used to. She was _scared_ of him!

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said softly, extending a hand slowly. She didn't flinch, just watched his hand. "And to answer your question, since we first met. I've figured out some strange things..."  
>"Like what?" her voice was still strong despite being scared. He hesitated, unsure of whether to pat her head or not.<br>"Well," he started by deciding against patting her head, "you're different to my goddesses. You're smaller around here." he gestured to his bottom, making White's eyes narrow. "But-"  
>"-you freaking pervert!" she gasped, trying to get away from him again. "Get back!"<p>

"I wasn't finished. Can't you wait?" he asked impatiently, sticking his lip out at her insolence. "It's rude to interrupt people when they're talking."  
>"Why should I stick around?" she clambered to her feet, clenching her fists again. Strange emotions swarmed through her eyes. "You're sick!"<br>"No, I'm in great health. Sit down, or I'll poke you." The warning in his voice was unmistakable. "On the head," he elaborated, pointing to his forehead.

* * *

><p>"Thank you. Now... you look at yourself in the mirror whenever you can. Not in an extravagant way like my goddesses, but in a way that suggests self consciousness." She darkened visibly that. "I'm not sure why, though. You're nice. You're pretty like my goddesses, maybe even- yes, better," he agreed with himself. "You're very, very pretty. You're not like Bianca- you hate talking about other people. Why she does concerns me... she has a life of her own; why does she need to talk about other people's lives? It's not nice at all. You love your friends, who love you. That's rare," he enthused with a sad smile.<p>

"Especially your Dewott... he adores you and would do anything you ask. You're serious and firm about your beliefs; strong willed and stubborn. You don't fight for strength or because you're attracted to your friends- instead, you fight for what's right. You're not just fighting to become a champion. You're not fighting for Unova. You're fighting for Pokémon... for almost the same cause I am." He stepped forward again, noting the light in her eyes. "We're almost identical... why must you torture me like this?" he found himself asking, raising his hands. Frustration hit him like a Pokéball.

"Torture?" she asked, walking forward so that they finally were chest to chest. He nodded stiffly, scowling. "How?"  
>"I don't know!" he responded heatedly, eyes blazing. He raked his hands through his hair and sighed loudly. "I don't know what I feel, but I've felt this since our time at the Ferris wheel. It is driving me insane!" his voice was growing louder and louder as she continued to stare at him. "<em>You <em>are driving me insane. How? What powers do you have?"

"I don't know," she replied quietly. "Why don't you tell me? Is this" –she grabbed his hand- "bothering you?" he frowned, assessing himself. He found the touch warm, almost comforting as it raced up his arm. It was as if he'd dipped the inside of his arm into a bath of hot water.  
>"Define that?" he asked, staring fixedly at her. His earlier frustration was fading. She adjusted her grip, locking her fingers with his. The warmth became more fiery, an even better feeling. "Oh..." the fire was filling him at a rapid pace. His stomach seemed to be confused; convulsing over itself like water at a beach.<br>"Good or bad?" she questioned, squeezing his fingers.

"I don't know," he answered awkwardly. "Wait..." he squeezed her fingers back and decided that he liked that very much. With a smile, he nodded eagerly.  
>"Good... then... you..." White struggled for a way to put whatever she was saying. "You... care deeply for me," she decided with. "You're still a creep, but that... that was the sweetest thing I've ever heard," she added with a smile.<p>

"I see..." The pieces were slowly clicking into N's head. He found himself slowly brushing the hair out of her face, taking in the feel of her soft skin against the back of his hand. "Is this good?" she nodded and, with a sigh, closed the gap between them. He saw her face coming closer but misread her intentions as she kissed him. His stomach jumped around his body, jumping in time to his now pounding chest. She stopped and looked at him with a strange expression on her face.

"I..." he copied her movements, locking lips with her. He smelled something that smelt like too-ripe berries and flowers. They seemed to be coming from White! They kissed numerous times before White slowly licked his lips with her tongue. He recoiled slightly, alarmed by the sudden intrusion.  
>"Good or bad?" she whispered against his mouth. Again, she licked his lips, sliding her tongue partially into his open mouth.<br>"Good," he decided, allowing her tongue to venture further into his mouth. His hand pressed against her shoulder, one of hers pressed against his hip. Their interlocked hands never once broke as they continued to kiss, unknowingly watched by a crowd of Pokémon.

_She's mine_, he thought with satisfaction as she squeezed his hand again.


	15. JetLagShipping

_-Mine- (Cress X Skyla)  
>Requested by: Rat2rrj.<br>Song suggested by: PHOEBEZLAMENSTUPIDAZBRAH._

_**When I saw the request for Cress X Skyla and saw the suggestion for 'Mine', the two clicked into my head. I hope this is okay.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>You were in college<br>Working part-time, waiting tables  
>Left a small town, never looked back<strong>_

"Cress! We have another customer!" a red head yelled, pointing his knuckle towards me in a peculiar way. I shrugged wearily, blinking at the small stool in front of me. After a day of flying from town to town to deliver cargo, I needed a break. I felt ready to collapse into the stool- no, collapse into the floor. My eyes fought to stay open, my legs felt dead after hours of remaining in the same positions.  
>Like you'd hear me complain, though. I loved my job, tiring as it was. I just wished that I could see that smile of approval one more time...<p>

"Skyla?" a voice asked me. Blearily, I looked at the speaker. He had shockingly blue hair and polite blue eyes. I knew his name from somewhere but couldn't recall it.  
>"Yeah?" I asked, stifling a yawn. "I'm Skyla. I'm here to deliver your shipments." Understanding and sympathy lit his face.<p>

"Oh, yes. That's right... Chili, you should have reminded me," he scolded his brother lightly. He had a strange knack, I noticed, for articulating words with his fingers. "She's dead on her feet!"  
>"Sorry," he said with a shrug. "Free coffee on the house?"<p>

"On me," the blue haired teenager elaborated with a smile. "No, it's okay," he said to my feeble protest. "You need a break, madam. When do you leave next?"  
>"This is my last stop," I replied, stiffly attempting to sit on the stool. "I'm able to go back to Misaltron anytime from now until tomorrow afternoon." He shook his head and helped me get onto the stool. "Hey! I'm fine!" I protested as he lifted me into the air. "Really!"<p>

* * *

><p>That meeting had been the first of many. His name, he told me after telling me it was perfectly fine to forget it, was Cress. I'd thought at first that he was creepy for being so courteous but in time saw that that was how he was normally. He was a gentleman to everyone. He always wore a smile on his face and acted like everyone was a close friend.<p>

After a few months, I felt like I could trust him a little. Even consider him a friend.

_**I was a flight risk, with a fear of fallin'  
>Wondering why we bother with love, if it never lasts<strong>_

"I'm so sorry to hear that," he said with genuine sadness. "So... you haven't seen him since?"  
>"Nope." I shook my head and sighed. "My dad just... left. He left me the gym, his cargo duties and the town. My mother went into shock shortly after that..."<p>

"It's hard losing a parent," he agreed sorrowfully. I looked at him suspiciously, looking for any signs of deception. "In my case, it was my mother. She and my father lost their spark after having us triplets... we came home from school one day to find her gone. She left only a note saying that she loved us but couldn't be with us. She couldn't pretend to love my father anymore, she said." Seeing the old pain in his eyes, my doubts flew away. He understood. He really understood what I was going through. "Shortly after that, we left Nuvema town and never looked back. The four of us recovered. We survived, like you will." He squeezed my hand reassuringly and opened his arms. After a second of hesitation, I accepted his hug.  
>After a year of doubt and fear, it felt nice to be able to trust a guy. To be able to talk about these things without fear. It felt even nicer to know that Cress was genuine.<br>I was beginning to like him for that.

_**The moment, I can see it  
>Yes, yes, I can see it now<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Happy meeting anniversary," Cress mumbles sheepishly, holding a poorly wrapped present in his hand. We've met at the bridge in Pinwheel Forest to celebrate the day that we met- even going as far as buying each other gifts (his insistence) and dressing formally (my insistence).<p>

Whatever his present seems to have corners; I can see one peeping out through the messy red and blue wrapping paper. "I asked Chili to help," he explains as I stare at the present. "A bad mistake, it seems. He can't wrap presents very well..." he wears the new tie I bought him with pride. A stiff black suit makes his features almost vampire-like in the reflection of the water.

"It's Chili," I explain with a shrug, beckoning him to sit down. I'm dressed in a light blue spaghetti strapped dress that 'sets off my eyes', according to Elesa. Cress thinks they're the color of the water at dawn; I think they're the color of the early morning sky. Don't even get me started on what we both think of my hair.

"Therefore... I'm glad the present survived," I continue, staring at my earrings, last year's gift. He laughs and sits next to me, peering into the water."So am I. Which is sad... he was actually going to follow us here." I roll my eyes at Chili's immaturity. "He thinks that we, quote in quote, 'hook up'." I roll my eyes again, placing my palm in my face.

"Well, he's a dumb ass. I wouldn't hook up with my best friend," I say grumpily. Chili is going to get booted up the ass when we get back to the gym.  
>"As I wouldn't to you. I have respect for you. Now, would you like your present?"<br>"Yes!" I say with eagerness, lifting my head. He smiles at my sudden mood change and hands it to me, letting his hands linger over mine for a minute.

I feel his eyes on mine as I slowly unwrap the present. Freezing, I look up at him. It's a little black box. A little black box with gold writing on it. My breathing increases, as does my heart rate. It's been two years... We've known each other for two years and he's given me... what has he given me?  
>"Cress," I say slowly, looking up at him, "is this...?"<p>

* * *

><p>"It's been in my family for generations... it was my grandmother's," he explains, looking at my face. Anxiety is written on his face as he speaks. He even licks his lips. "Just... open it, okay?" I force suddenly numb fingers to touch the lid, force them to open the lid... and gasp.<p>

Sitting on a little black cushion is a ruby studded necklace. It's made of what appears to be silver and has a bird engraved into the main jewel. It's beautiful. It's perfect.  
>"I wasn't sure how to go about this... but," he swallows and says quickly, "I really do like you, Skyla. I... I'd like to date you, maybe, if I can. If that's fine with you."<p>

"Cress," I sigh, a smile lighting my face. "You really want to- to date me?" he nods and holds out his hand.  
>"What do you say?" he asks, slightly shy. "I'm not going to leave you, Skyla. I swear that."<br>"I believe you." I take his hand and smile up at him, relieved that our feelings are mutual.  
>"Let me put that on," he requests after kissing my hand.<p>

The sensation feels perfect to me. Taking back the box, he carefully pulls the necklace out and waddles (on his knees, mind you) to a position behind me. I inhale sharply as the necklace bounces on my collarbone, nervous and excited. I watch his reflection smile at me; feel him hesitantly brush my hair out of the way. After some fumbling, he closes the lock and returns to my actual sight to assess me. A delighted smile locks across his face.  
>"It's perfect," he says ecstatically, touching the main ruby gently. "The bird symbolises freedom. I know you wanted a new start..."<p>

"I did. Thank you," I say as he puts his arm around my waist.  
>"This is okay? I think we should go slowly," he thinks aloud. "I mean, I don't want to be like Chili or..."<br>"Like them," I refer to our parents, resting my head on his shoulder.  
>"Yes. And you're welcome," he remembers to say with a laugh. "My dear high flier."<br>"You are so corny," I tease, smiling at the new girl looking back at me from the water. She smiles back as her new boyfriend kisses her cheek.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Do you remember when we were sitting there by the water?<br>You put your arm around me for the first time  
>You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter<br>You are the best thing that's ever been Mine  
><strong>_


	16. ChessShipping

_-Saving You- (ChessShipping)  
>Requested by: PrincessOfDestiny14.<br>Song suggested by: PHOEBEZLAMENSTUPIDAZBRAH._

_**Just to be clear, there's not going to be a lemon or a lime for this entire fic. As for the song in this chapter, I've chosen the tamer lyrics.**_

* * *

><p>She was undoubtedly the most famous person in the Unova region. Her face graced the covers of famous magazines while her every move was tracked by paparazzi. She couldn't so much as go to the toilet without it being reported now. She was 'romantically' linked with everyone- from Alder to Cheren to N... she'd even been linked to Bianca.<p>

"_I'm not dating anyone and don't plan to for a while. My main priority now is completing my PokéDex,"_ she repeated in different interviews. Each time she said this, she laughed... but each time she said those words, her laugh became a little more fake. She wasn't finding the publicity of being Unova's hero all that it was cracked up to be- hell, she hadn't even asked for the fame! She'd only wanted to stop Ghetsis from attempting to rule the world. She'd wanted to stop N from fulfilling his father's unknown wishes.

But, of course, that's not how the paparazzi saw it. They saw her as a hero who did it for the good of humanity. They span heroic tales of how she'd 'slaughtered' the King of Team Plasma, forcing him to flee. In some stories, she'd even attempted to elope with N.

"_Nothing _happened between me and N. I didn't kick his ass or hook up with him,"she insisted, wanting nothing more than to shove the microphone up the snobbish news reporter's nose. She'd pushed herself to the front of a shouting, demanding crowd, screaming questions at her. White's personal security had been forced to push several unjustly angry people away, flatly threatening to press charges against them all if they didn't leave now. Unfortunately, the snobby, obviously self obsessed news reporter had not been one of the people to have been pushed away.

"So, there is no secret alliance between you and Team Plasma?" the news reporter demanded, pushing strands of bleach blond hair back. "You're not going to doom us all?"  
>"Why the hell would I?" White asked exasperatedly, rolling her eyes. "Why would I save Unova to only destroy it again?"<p>

"Lust," the reporter said smugly, waggling her eyebrows. White's eyes flared but she snorted in disgust and turned to leave. "Wait!" the reporter called. Turning her head, she saw Black wedge himself between them, eyes narrowed in equal disgust. He may have been dressed in his regular clothes but there was no masking the power that seemed to flow through him.

"White isn't going to answer any more questions. Thanks for your time," he said, grabbing White's wrist and leading her away. People screamed more questions at her, causing her to hide her face.

_Come and save me  
>Something tells me you know how to save me<em>

* * *

><p>"What a bitch," White fumed as she sat in Black's apartment. The usually clean top storey residence was currently cluttered with White's security, cups of coffee and files. Black sighed and patted her back sympathetically. "It's one thing to start accusing me of hooking up with someone, but another to then follow me for a freaking hour in her little sedan. I don't even know her name! Why is she following me?" she asked her hands.<p>

"The lawsuit is already on its way," Alder assured her from his spot on the opposing sofa. He had a tight look on his face as well as a tired one. These days, he was lucky to have three hours sleep. "She'll be hearing from your lawyers shortly," he continued. "For your own safety, I think it's best that you-"  
>"-Screw the lawsuit, I just want these assholes to leave me alone," White interrupted angrily. Black's patting increased in tempo. "I can't even go out for breakfast without being abused now! Who the hell is making these rumors?"<p>

"Various gossip sites, Miss. White. Best of you to ignore them," another member of her team replied soothingly. He was the oldest member of the team at forty one years of age and spoke with a slight Kanto-nean accent. "I know how hard it is," he added hastily, blanching under her furious gaze. "Believe me, I do. The first person I had to guard was Red himself. You wouldn't believe-"

"-That's it. All of you, out," she demanded, pointing at the door. "Seriously, just go, please." Alder was the first to respect her wishes. After clasping her shoulder and nodding to Black, he left. "And the rest of you."  
>"White, I understand that you're upset" –she cut the second speaker off by repeating her previous sentence-<br>"And the rest of you. Just leave."

They nodded to her and reluctantly left, leaving Black alone with her. "Black, you too." She knew perfectly well that they were only outside the door but didn't care. She just wanted to scream and let her emotions out.  
>"No. Sorry," he said unapologetically, "not while you're like this." Her glare melted as the door shut behind the shortest member of her security. Without knowing why, her eyes abruptly welled up. The previously fiery blue eyes had become damp pools of sadness. Black was with her in an instant, pulling her into his arms.<p>

"I know," he mumbled as she began to sob. "I know. They're idiots, White."  
>"Why can't they leave me alone? Or just treat me with respect?" she asked his chest, sobs growing louder. "I haven't done <em>anything<em> wrong!"  
>"I know, but that's what the public does, sweetheart... at least they've stopped questioning your chastity," he added, stroking her hair. He was obviously as upset as she was but kept it inside. "It'll be okay..."<p>

"No, it won't. There will be a new rumour tomorrow... they're going to say we assaulted her or something..." she wailed, pulling him closer. She was full of despair. She'd finally broken under the hard gaze of the public eye.

_I've been feeling weird (oh)  
>Oh, I need you to come and rescue me<em>

* * *

><p>"We're going to take off for a few weeks. Just you and me," he promised after she'd calmed down. "I've already cleared it with Alder and the others. You need a vacation, babe." She shook her head and head butted his chest. Her eyes were swollen and her lips were cracked. His jacket was soaked in snot, drool and tears.<p>

_I've been feeling real low  
>Oh, I need you to come and rescue me<em>

"They'll find us, they always do... I should have left Ghetsis win. I'd rather be hated by everyone openly than this." He sighed and stroked her hair again, saddened by her lack of faith. Those bastards had crushed her mercilessly. He wanted nothing more than to crush them himself.  
>"Not this time... have you ever been to Sinnoh?" he inquired, kissing her forehead.<p>

"No..." she sipped from her tea cup, biting down on the top as fresh tears fell from her eyes. "Is it far away from here?"  
>"It can be seen like that," he assured her. "See, by law they'd have to board a boat to get there. It would take them <em>months<em> to find us."  
>"The paparazzi there would recognize me," she pointed out flatly, holding in a sob. "And then they'd realize that we've been lying through our teeth all along. I'm sick of not being able to publicly be in a relationship with you!" with the last sentence, she released her sob. "I miss the days where I could go out without people looking at me... I miss being able to hold your hand, Black."<br>"So do I," he said, allowing some of his unseen emotion to seep into his voice. "That's another reason why we're going."  
>"When can we leave?"<p>

"Tonight, if you really wanted to. Give Bianca a few hours to make you over and no one would recognize you. I got this, babe," he said softly, tilting her head upwards. Tears trekked down her cheeks as he did. Swallowing back his emotions at her pain, he continued with, "They won't hurt you on my watch. I promise. By the time we come back, someone is sure to have stepped up into the spotlight. I guarantee it... remember Red? He was the biggest person in Kanto but disappeared for three years not long after defeating Lance. Reports say that he's back now, but people generally give him space. He and his family have almost complete privacy." He had her complete attention with those words.

"I don't want our children growing up like this," she admitted. Both hearts swelled at those two words. "Red ended up having kids, right?"  
>"He did," Black confirmed, rubbing her back. "He has two kids now to Daisy Oak. It's known, but people don't really give a damn. It'll be us shortly," he promised, kissing her head again. "I love you."<br>"I love you too," she replied, kissing his lips briefly. "I'm sorry for being-"

"-you're not being a baby. You're just not in a good emotional state right now because of the stress. You scream for the paparazzi to go away in your sleep," he winced, recalling those nights. He'd been woken up by her tossing and muttering at first before she'd begun to scream. Upon waking up, she'd cried and refused to go back to sleep. "We're leaving this behind."

"You're rescuing me from this hell," she rephrased, kissing his chin again. "Thank you..." the gratitude was clear in the seventeen year old's eyes.  
>"Don't mention it, babe. Now, do you want to watch something? Alder bought the final season of <em>Supernatural<em>," he invited with a small mile. "We can finally see what happens to Sam." The mention of White's favorite TV show brightened her mood further.

"He's going to die," she told Black. "He's the vessel for hell, isn't he?" he considered this but shook his head.  
>"It'll be a gooey ending. They're not going to let the brothers go like that."<br>"Maybe..." she positioned herself more comfortably in his arms, looking up at him. "We still have that bet, right?" he laughed and nodded, recalling the bet made just over a year ago.  
>"The winner gets a peperoni pizza," he said, poking her nose. "And a side of their choice."<br>"And a coke," she put in with a small pout. "How could you forget the coke?"  
>"Easily, because Pepsi is better than coke."<br>"Want to bet on that?"


	17. OldRivalConflictShipping

_-Metamorphis- (OldRivalShipping/ConflictShipping)  
>Requested by: Brazil10.<br>_

Her earliest memories of him always made her laugh. Even at the altar, in front of all of Kanto, she laughed at the memories of the little spiky haired boy in his pink diapers. Of course, he'd always deny it- but the look on his face told the true story.

What could he say? He'd had a passion for pink as a toddler. The diapers _had _to be pink or else he'd throw an hour long tantrum. He never held back, either.  
>"MY DIAPIE. I WAN MY PINK DIAPIE! NOW!"<p>

As the years rolled on, they became the best of friends. Silent, meek Leaf always did what spoiled young Blue said- even if she did get into trouble for it. Gobbling cookies that she'd stolen from his sister's bake sale, drawing all over her walls (with _blue _crayons, he stressed in later life), being the lady in their battles (because playing house was _far_ too girly for Blue Oak) and even letting him throw shells at her in Mario Kart. She'd fly patiently around the track as he zoomed past, gleefully cackling at his success.

If he got bored of that, he'd poke her- she'd frown and poke back. He'd poke her again. It was a game that lasted until he got her to speak.  
>"Blue!" she'd say, poking him back. "I don't like this!"<br>"You're a sissy," he'd complain, jabbing her in the side. "This is nothing!"  
>Little did he know that she wasn't to remain silent for long.<p>

* * *

><p>"Mom, no," she pleaded, grabbing her mother's hand. Her blue eyes were full of tears as she stared up at the school building. "I don't wanna!" her mother sighed and carefully pulled her hand out of her insistent grip.<p>

"Leaf, you gotta go. You'll have fun with Blue," she said, straightening her backpack. "I even packed your Lily! You love Lily, don't you?" Blue watched from the doorway, clearly bored. "And Lily wants you to go to school today." Leaf stared at the Vileplume plushie in her mother's hand and slowly took it, hugging it to her chest. A few tears fell but her mother quickly wiped them away,

"Lily," she grumbled, glaring at the beloved plushie, "you're marrying Blue when we get home."  
>"Leaf, stop talking to your toy. That's for babies," Blue scoffed, sliding his hands into his pockets. Leaf turned her glare onto him and shook her head.<br>"Lily isn't a toy! Lily's real, Blue! Aren't you, Lily?" she asked the plushie. Nodding its head, she continued with, "See? You hurt her feelings!"  
>"It's a toy," Blue said with a roll of his eyes. Leaf's eyes blazed. Their mothers looked awkwardly at each other as the open-doored classroom fell silent.<p>

"LILY IS NOT A TOY!" she screeched, storming over to poke him. His eyes bugged out as he took the plushie from her suddenly loose hands. "LILY! Give her back!" she demanded, jumping pathetically on the spot as he dangled it above her head. "Blue!"  
>"Nu-uh. She's a toy, Leaf. You're five," Blue told her, lifting it higher above his head. "Five year olds don't play with toys."<br>"She's my friend!"  
>"I'm your best friend."<br>"No! You're a meanie." The last three words hit the little boy like a brick. They were spoken so quietly that he nearly missed them. "I don't like meanies..." he felt tears of his own well up but turned his head proudly away, along with Lily.

In what felt like slowed time, he ripped the Vileplume's head off of its little body. Leaf screamed and tried to pry it from him to no avail. Finally, time resumed its normal pace as he looked down at his foamy destruction. His face crumpled into shock as his mother pulled him away by the hand, loudly scolding him for his actions. As the plushie dropped from his grip, Leaf stooped to pick it up, wailing her heart out.  
>"Lily..." she sobbed, head bowed. Her soft brown curls covered Lily from sight. He angrily told his mother that it was Leaf's fault for being so dumb, but it fell on deaf ears.<br>That was the moment he thought he'd lost her for good.

* * *

><p>He saw her occasionally after that, but not for long. The ten minute walk to and from school felt like forever as she marched ahead, deliberately ignoring him. She never said a word to anyone these days... she simply nodded or shook her head to answers. Sometimes, she wouldn't reply at all.<br>Not that it was Blue's problem.  
><em>She shouldn't have been a baby!<em> He protested internally. _You're better than her. You always will be. _

After school, she'd vanish into her house. Gone were the days of Mario Kart, laughing and poking. The days where she was always around to play with him.  
>Now, Blue dedicated himself to his friends and his Pokémon studies. He didn't know what Leaf did but suspected that she did something along the same lines. She was very close to his sister, after all. It was her that had stitched stupid Lily up after the incident at school.<br>Eh. Blue didn't care. He was going to be champion, not her. And certainly not that baby toy.

* * *

><p>A few more years passed before the day finally came. Filled with nervous anticipation, he stood beside his grandfather's desk and stared around the room. Today, he was finally starting his journey. His mom had already said her goodbyes, knowing that he wasn't about to stick around for pampering. Daisy had said that she'd be at home if he needed anything. As for good ol' gramps...<p>

Well, he'd gone out an hour ago, leaving Blue to be watched by the aides. Not that he needed it.  
>He began to wonder if Leaf was going to show up but then laughed.<br>She's my rival. I'm gonna win every time, he thought proudly, puffing his chest out. Because I'm Blue- the door clanged open. Turning his head sharply, he couldn't believe his eyes. Leaf was walking up towards him, face filled with determination as she clutched her bag. The hat her mom had bought her last year sat on her head.  
><em>Perfect, <em>he thought with some smugness.

"Leaf! Gramps isn't around," he told her as she reached him. She ignored him, as he thought she would. Instead, she delicately observed the Pokéballs sitting on the desk beside him. Interest masked her face before she finally looked at him. "What?" he asked her. Something in her eyes made him feel... nervous? Nah. Not in a long shot.  
>"Nothing," she said, face closing again. Her voice was still the quiet, musical one that he remembered. "When's the professor coming back?"<p>

"I don't know," he answered honestly, a little struck by her boldness. "Do I look like a genie or something?" he added rudely, tossing his head. She frowned at him and rolled her eyes, muttering something unpleasant under her breath.  
>"Never mind. I'm going to go find him," she told the floor. Instantly, Blue was in front of her. Surprise crossed her face but quickly hardened. "Move," she demanded.<p>

"Why should I? You think you can just, what, waltz in because gramps likes you?" he asked, flinging his arms in front of her. "He said to stay here, you dumbass."  
>"Yeah, to you. Who's the dumbass now?" she retorted, pushing his arms to the side. His eyes widened as she surprised him again. Little Leaf wasn't sweet anymore!<br>"Takes a dumbass to know a dumbass," he laughed instead. "Fine, go. Get told off by gramps."  
>"Way to insult yourself," she scoffed, readjusting her hat. "But, I already knew you were a dumbass."<br>Ah, crap. He'd insulted himself by accident.

* * *

><p>"NO!" he shouted, staring at his rival in disbelief. His final Pokémon staggered forward and, at an agonisingly slow pace, collapsed. She stared at him in equal disbelief, Charizard roaring loudly in triumph.<br>"I beat you," she said slowly. "I... really beat you?"

"I guess you did," he replied, stunned. "I don't know how... but, you beat me." She gave him an awkward smile, recalling her Charizard and stepping forward.  
>"After all this time... I've never won a match between us. Why now?" she wondered, meeting him at the opening of the Pokéball drawn on their battle ground. It had been a long battle- nearly an hour long in length, to be precise. Both teams and trainers were exhausted.<br>"I got cocky," he realized sullenly. Kicking the ground, he swore under his breath. "You haven't beaten me yet, though. I'll challenge you again. And I _will_ win."

"Don't think so far ahead," she scolded. "Seriously? We just had an amazing battle." Despite feeling annoyed at his loss, he couldn't help but agree. She'd pushed him to his very limits for the first time. It felt bittersweet having the loser finally kick your ass. As he voiced it, she laughed again and held out her hand. He took it, feeling calm acceptance take over. Yeah, he'd lost. But he'd realized his weaknesses. He had something to work on now... as had she. She would have to step up her game for next time.  
>"I'm sorry," she added quietly. "For everything..." he rolled his eyes but felt himself smile.<p>

"Geez, kill the moment much? I'm sorry, too."  
>"We good?" Leaf asked, tilting her head. "Or are you being your residential smart ass self?" the light caught her eyes, now smiling with some hidden secret. "You know... there are a lot of people out there by now. So, you can either be nice, or I can tell them things." Blue halted in his tracks and let his mouth drop. She was threatening him!<br>"Like what?" he asked slowly, suddenly nervous as he realized what she was planning on telling. "Oh, HELL NO!" she laughed and nodded.

"How much do you think that will sell for?" she inquired. Her hair, messed with sweat, fell back over her eye as she righted her head again. "I can see it in the headlines... Blue loves pink."  
>"I can see your ass being in the headlines," he fired back, embarrassed. "How much will they pay me if you go flying out the door ass first?"<br>"The same amount for a pink diapie," she laughed loudly. "W-HEY!" she protested as he grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. Somehow, he had her arms pinned above her head and was smirking lazily down at her before she could say 'Mew in a can'. Carefully pressing the side of his knee into one of her bare ones, he continued to smirk in a way that she found almost sexy. From this closeness, she could smell the strong scent of his aftershave and feel the tiniest stubble of arm hair rubbing against her elbow.

"What was that about charging?" he wondered casually as she tried to bite him. "For a shot like this... wow. Your mom would love you. She'd even have it framed above the kitchen sink."  
>"Asswipe," Leaf grumbled. From his view, Blue saw things that made his throat thicken- not cleavage, but nicer things. Her face may have been red, but she had a nice row of freckles on her nose. Her hair was thin but sculpted her equally thin face perfectly. His own thoughts weren't making sense now. "Blue?" he caught her asking. With a frown, he realized he'd tuned out to whatever she'd had to say. She looked at him, suddenly looking like the child he used to poke when he was bored. Her lip jutted out as she waited for a reply.<p>

"Mm?" he answered, watching her face closely. "What'd you say?"  
>"I said, at least it'd get rid of that ugly boat picture she loves so much," she repeated slowly. A knocking at the door caught their attention. Voices began to rise as people- most likely journalists, Leaf believed- tried to enter but failed. She raised her eyebrows as Blue chuckled under his breath.<p>

"Don't look at me like that. Parental supervision isn't what it's cracked up to be," he told her carelessly. The oak door received more blows as the voices grew even louder. "Yeah, yeah. Calm your tits, we're coming soon," Blue called out. Lowering his voice again, he muttered, "And, seriously. We're having a moment, woman." She blushed at his casual use of words.

"I see it more as, 'one sided romance'." He smirked and pulled her closer.  
>"Yeah? Well... I see it as two poke buddies finally getting even." Their lips became inches apart as Blue quietly remarked, "And they can put this on the headlines. Provided I get paid."<br>"You're a tool," Leaf snorted, rolling her eyes. "Like they'd pay you."  
>"And you're a dumb ass. You'd be surprised..." words were lost as their mouths received each other.<p> 


	18. SexistShipping

_-As I Promised- (SexistShipping)  
>Requested by: Mew Mew Pachirisu.<em>

Her feet barely stayed on the ground as she ran, glancing over her shoulder every so often out of fear. He was to kill her, she knew. She'd disobeyed his orders and now she was to die.

But what was so wrong with wanting to be with the one she loved? She wondered, breaths accelerating as she heard him shout from behind her. Heart racing in her chest, she frantically picked up her speed, hastily slipping the skirt of her dress into her small hands as to not fall over it. The kimono's bright colors shone menacingly in the light colored air around her.

_I'm nearly there,_ she thought, spirits rising as she saw the little cabin ahead. _He'll protect me. As I must protect him- no! _Foolishly, she'd let her attention free for a second- and was no sprawled on the ground, body racked with pain. He was onto her in seconds.

"あなた！私の血の裏切り者！あなたの罪のために死ぬ!" He roared, grabbing her by the throat. He was a round man, one with a protruding belly and jug sized arms. He had distinctively sharp, white teeth that shone with maniacally flowing spit.

"してください！彼を傷つけてはいけない!" She pleaded as he descended on her, delivering blow after blow to her small face. She gritted her teeth and attempted to endure the blow, shaking as each blow became harder. Her face began to sting and her vision became clouded. Faintly, she could taste blood in her mouth.

"あなたは私たち家族、汚れた処女を裏切ってはいけない," he replied harshly. He peered at her in contempt, disgust and horror. She'd broken a solemn vow by accepting the advances of the enemy. Not only the enemy, but a married man.

"停止！今やめて!" A voice barked in equal harshness. Turning their heads, both saw a tall, thin man running towards them. His elbows were eerily extended as he ran, fury in his eyes. The maiden's heart sang with anxious joy as she watched him. With precision the soldier pulled the maiden's brother off of her and stabbed him once in the chest. The cold eyes widened as the blade slid unceremoniously from his chest.

"彼女はあなたに罪のために死ぬものとします。彼女の体は暗いピットに腐敗するもの、魂が雪の中で失われた。彼女は不貞です、あなたはとんでもないです," the brother threatened weakly as his life began to fade. The soldier paid him no heed, instead turning to his lover- who was no longer beside him.

He panicked, red eyes rolling around as he frantically tried to catch sight of her. There! She was rolling down a small cliff, frail arms weakly trying to grab something, anything to stop her descent. He followed her instantly, sliding down on his rear end in hopes of catching her. She slowed, having grasped a branch and he collided into her, breath flying out of him. Quickly, he secured her in his arms and shielded her from any impact as they hit the snowy depths below.

Upon awakening, the soldier lifted his head. He couldn't be sure where they were, but they were surrounded by snow. He gripped his younger lover's hand, relieved to receive a little grip back in return. She whispered his name faintly; face as white as the snow they lay on. Her dark curls fanned around her face as he pulled her onto his torso, horror struck. Her face was almost unrecognizable. It was caked in blood, dirt and swelling. Despite that, she smiled tenderly at him.

Her breaths rattled her body as she began to cough, blood emerging from her mouth. With a frown, he moved his eyes down- and froze as he saw a wide spreading red stain covering her torso. Her kimono was torn in several places, revealing several long cuts and fresh blood splatters. She followed his eyes and gasped his name, but he didn't hear her. Instead, he ripped some of the fabric from his shirt, uncaring about the cold that would consume him.

Tenderly, he compressed the wounds, meeting her eyes again. She was deathly afraid but refused to let any tears fall from her yellow eyes. From his hold on her wound, he could feel her weakening pulse; feel her breaths as she resumed coughing. He refused to give up; wouldn't dream of letting his beloved go.

* * *

><p>For hours, he continued to rip his clothes apart, recompressing her wounds and covering her as much as he could. She sang to him quietly, kissing his cheeks and forehead as he leaned over her. Finally, a time came when both of them had ice on their faces. Both were freezing cold and shaking, clinging together to warm the other. Her head rested on his neck, his head rested on hers.<p>

"私の最愛の..." She said slowly, kissing the patch of skin she saw. "私はあなたを愛していることを決して忘れない。我々は再び会う予定だ…"  
>"そのような話をしないでください," he pleaded hoarsely, stroking her hair. "我々は、この後も存続します." She smiled faintly, bitterly; and shook her head. "我々は、この後も存続します!" He repeated stubbornly, kissing her lips. They sat in silence for a time until he felt the warmth disappearing from her body.<p>

"おまえ？私の最愛の人？違う!" He cried frantically, raising his head and shaking her shoulders weakly. Her eyes were closed and her head lolled. "違う！目を覚ます！目を覚ます、ください," he wept, bending his head over her. He was furious with himself. He'd let her die. They had meant to be together and he'd let her die. The cold she adored had taken her for its own. With the same precision that he'd used on her brother, he landed a blow into his own chest, sobbing as he did so. As he fell, he carefully cradled his lover's body in his arms. When his last breath came, he kissed her frozen lips, silently promising to meet her again. He'd protect her at all costs in the next life.

* * *

><p>Thousands of years later, the ice began to glow. The earth shook as the new Pokémon sat in the frozen tree, waiting. He clung to the branches, eyes fixed on the glowing form below. Was he right? Would she be there? He could only wonder as the earth shook again. This was the place; he'd been sure of that from the minute he'd opened his eyes in this new body. She'd be there, waiting for him. Just as she'd promised.<p>

Finally, the glare of the ice became too much. He closed his eyes tightly, pulling his elbow in front of his face as a high pitched keening rang in his ears. Suddenly, there was silence. Cold, uneasy silence until something took a breath. He opened his eyes and saw a small form floating in the area below.

It was white, with a familiar red bow wrapped around its body. There were patches of blue and purple along with some red. Slowly, it turned its head and he began to tear up as their eyes met. It was _her_.

She recognized him and flew towards him slowly, almost incredulously. He leaped out of the tree effortlessly, meeting her halfway. The snow blew around her hollowed face, casting an eerie light onto it. That faded as she touched his face. The touch reminded him of the older times; times when he'd had hands for her to hold. When he could caress her face and play with her hair. She had no hair now, but she needed none. She was even more beautiful like this.

"Froslass," she breathed, beginning to cry.  
>"Galade…"he wept with her as he took her into his arms. Her body was cold and hollow, but he could care less. There was no softness of skin but her heart fluttered and pounded with life nonetheless.<p>

He nudged her face gently, watching as his tears almost instantly turned to ice as they dropped onto her face. She laughed, yellow eyes burning with love. His own red irises were filled with that love as he held her close again, listening to the sound of her ear-like arms fluttering in the breeze. Finally, she stood back and stared formally at him. He followed her lead and hid his smile, standing at attention.

"Froslass,"she started with a curtsey. Her eyes, as they had at their first meeting, darted up to meet his.  
>"Gallade," he replied, taking her hand and kissing it. "Gall," he added, causing her to smile.<br>"Lass," she scolded, resting her head against his shoulder. "Froslass…"

In Snowpoint city, the falling snow gleamed with the brilliance of crystals. The couple looked over the city, marveling at the changing times. Froslass looked at her partner briefly, obviously wondering if he could manage the cold climate. Catching her eye, Gallade nodded sharply before pulling her back into his side again.

Both could feel the other's heart beating with the vibrancy of life. It was a beautiful feeling after an eternity in the darkness.

* * *

><p><em><strong>It's a little sad at the start, but this is my favorite OneShot so far. Here are the translations:<strong>_

_**あなた！私の血の裏切り者！あなたの罪のために死ぬ**__**! – **__**To die for **__**your sins**__**! **__**Traitor **__**of **__**my blood**__**! **__**You!**__** (Very loose translation)**_

_**してください！彼を傷つけてはいけない！ –**__**Please! Don't hurt him!**_

_**あなたは私たち家族、汚れた処女を裏切ってはいけない**__**. – You should not have betrayed our family, dirty virgin. (Again, loose translation)**_

_**停止！今やめて！ **__**-**__**Stop!**__**Stop **__**now**__**!**_

_**彼女はあなたに罪のために死ぬものとします。彼女の体は暗いピットに腐敗するもの、魂が雪の中で失われた。彼女は不貞です、あなたはとんでもないです。**__**- **__**She shall die for sinning to you. Her body shall rot in the darkest pits, soul lost in the snow. She is unchaste and you are unholy. **_

_**私の最愛の**__**.- My darling.**_

_**私はあなたを愛していることを決して忘れない。我々は再び会う予定だ**__**. - **__**I will never forget**__** that**__** I love you.**__**We **__**will meet**__** again.**_

_**そのような話をしないでください**__**.- Don't talk like that.**_

_**我々は、この後も存続します**__**. - We will survive this.**_

_**おまえ？私の最愛の人？違う！**__**- My dear? My darling? No!**_

_**Yes, I'm still taking pairings. ;} The next chapter shall be IronWillShipping.**_


	19. IronWillShipping

_-Like a Book- (IronWillShipping)  
>Requested by: Paramorepokefreak.<br>_

Dawn broke the silence, as she always did. His eyes snapped open as he considered her question.  
>"Is the way of the aura something that can be learned? I just… I'd like to try and learn." Her eyes showed the sincerity of her words. A hesitant smile graced her mouth as she waited for his answer. Finally, after some consideration, Riley shook his head, sadly watching her smile fall.<p>

"It's something that we're born with. Only a few can really master it... even I'm still in training and I've known about my ability for years." Their Lucarios nodded in agreement. Dawn's knelt beside Riley's, a pink sash wrapped around her slender neck. She was feminine but sharp in her movements. A real femme fatale.

_"And so she is… don't transfer your abilities, Riley. It would kill you,"_ Riley's Lucario muttered through telepathy, lowering his snout suspiciously.  
><em>"Wasn't thinking of it… I wouldn't make that cost,"<em> he replied, exchanging a meaningful look with him. _"It would harm us both."_ Lucario nodded, satisfied.  
>"Will your children get it?" she asked next. He raised an eyebrow at her awkward phrasing.<br>_'Crap!" _She thought frantically. "I meant-"

"-I know what you meant. It's okay," he replied reassuringly, having read the true meaning in her mind. Her worried expression lightened considerably as he gave her a rare smile. "And to answer your question… I'm not sure. It's like trying to predict what eye color a child will be born with."

_"Could I deal with hearing that news? Hearing that I hadn't gotten my family's power?" _Images began to flash through Dawn's mind as she considered this, Riley hiding a smile as he guiltily listened in to it. Every time they were close, he'd get snippets of what she was thinking without actually using his abilities. Lucario (though disapproving of Riley's conscious prying) was certain that it was a sign that he was using too much aura.

_"Listening again?"_ Lucario mentally sighed and rolled his eyes, shooting him a pointed look. _"You know that really isn't polite!"_  
><em>"Sorry."<em> Carefully, he placed a mental barrier between the two, regretfully blocking Dawn's train of thought. _"Happy?"_

_"She will be, once she realizes why you've zoned out."_ With a start, Riley looked at Dawn, who seemed to be waiting for some sort of answer to whatever she'd just said.  
>"Again? Wow," she teased, rolling her eyes and playfully poking him. "My thoughts aren't that interesting…" after a tense start, she'd learned to deal with the random intrusions of thought. She told herself that it was Riley, someone she trusted completely. Those thoughts honored him more than anything.<p>

"Sorry," he apologized out loud, embarrassed. "It can be…" his voice trailed off as his Lucario shut his eyes again. "It really can be. Lucario, would you like to try again?" the Pokémon nodded sharply. "Alright… Dawn? Watch and tell me if you can see any improvement." Standing up, he exchanged nods with her and began to concentrate on his hand. Clearing his mind of all thoughts, Riley exhaled sharply. All he could see now was his bare hand.

* * *

><p><em>Now, summon the projection. <em>Obeying his mental command, he continued to concentrate. Power ebbed through his mind, blurring his vision and making his heart rate race in his ears. Slowly, the purple flames began to flicker on his finger tips. Subconsciously clenching his fist, the flames flickered into fire, sitting easily on his palm. The heat felt welcome after a long break. After a second, he could feel another aura user's presence combining with his.

_Lucario,_ he thought, glancing towards his starting Pokémon. _Are we one? _His brown eyes opened slowly, revealing an almost superhuman light in them. His body effortlessly shone like a star.  
><em>We are, <em>Lucario's deep voice echoed in his mind. _Can you sense any disturbances?  
>Now for the hard bit,<em> Riley thought, closing his eyes.

He exhaled again and thrust the power from his mind, sending it throughout the cave in a sharp cluster. He heard many different tonal ranges, each clearer than the last. It was always so when he used the power like this. Everything was sharper. He felt the joy and sorrow that a Steelix was experiencing in the cavern next to them. He felt her nudge her newborn Onix, felt it nudge her back. The wetness of the rock felt cool against his face… but he knew that the Onix's father was never to be seen again. He'd been taken by a trainer not long ago. Wincing, he tried to tune that Steelix's emotions out- to no avail.

A mental barricade flung up between them, barring him out of his own mind. The sudden barricade felt like cold water falling onto him. With a shout, he opened his eyes. Dawn sat next to him, looking extremely worried.

"You both shouted out… are you okay?" she asked, taking his now cool hand. "You're freezing and you fell…"  
><em>"You heard that, too?"<em> Lucario asked, tilting his head. He too had been shocked by the sudden separation of their minds.

_"I did,"_ he finally answered. _"Something isn't right." _He felt… wrong. _"I feel… angry," _he added in a quieter voice. Lucario sent as much empathy as he could, no doubt feeling as bad as he was.

_"No… it is normal. It happens from time to time. Excess usage of our ability or emotion can drain us for a certain period. As you could probably feel… don't rise to the dark temptations, Riley,"_ he added, shaking his own head._  
>"You think I'm not trying?" <em>Riley demanded, wincing as a strange batch of bitterness rippled through him. Ripping his hat from his head, he looked away from Dawn.  
><em>Focus on the softness… focus…<em> he chanted like a mantra, slowing his breathing. The black ribbon felt like velvet under his cool, clammy hands...hand.  
><em>She's still holding my hand,<em> he realized, cursing himself as his concentration slipped. He began to focus on her again, even turning to face her. What brought him back to awareness was the equivalent to a sharp mental slap. Flinching, he glared at his attacker accusingly.  
>"What?" he asked sharply. Luna bared her teeth and snarled as menacingly as she could, advancing onto a surprised Dawn and angry Riley. Lucario jumped between them, eyes blazing in their sockets.<br>_"You won't touch Dawn like that. EVER!"_ she thundered, trying to push past the other Lucario. _"I'll slay you alive!"_  
><em>"Calm down!"<em> he instructed as Riley attempted to get to his feet. _"No, Dawn! Don't grab…" _caught by surprise, Dawn had gripped onto Riley's hand, causing him to fall backwards onto her knees with a shout. She cried out as his head connected with one, temporarily dazing him.  
>"Riley! Riley, are you okay?" she asked in alarm, grabbing his head to cradle in her arms. "I am so sorry…"<p>

"I'm fine," he told Dawn coolly, inwardly seething as stars flew in front of him. She looked surprised at his tone and very hurt from what he could see.  
><em>"Focus," <em>Lucario urged. _"Mine's under reasonable control… you can do it, Riley. Concentrate…"_  
>"What happened?" she asked as he clenched his fists in response to Lucario's words.<br>_Concentrate… focus… calm… _  
>"I was overpowered by a Pokémon's emotions," he eventually said with his eyes closed.<br>"Does that happen regularly?" she inquired, obviously confused. Almost absently, she placed a hand on his forehead. "Then what made this different? And will you be okay…?"  
><em>"I hope so… I really do,"<em> she thought quietly, anxiety riddling her mind.  
>"I don't know… Dawn, I'll be okay," he tried to reassure her through his teeth. <em><br>Calm… Focus on her. Focus on Dawn, not the emotions… _the room went black around him as he struggled to focus.

* * *

><p>Strangely, he saw himself lying on Dawn's lap… <em>through her eyes,<em> he realized with a start. He tried to look around but only felt foolish. This was through Dawn's eyes, not his. Therefore, he saw what she saw.  
><em>Good way to start, Riley,<em> he thought sarcastically. _Remember… one plus one isn't three. _She continued to watch him, running fingers through his hair anxiously. The concern and anxiety ran wild inside of her.  
><em>"He'll be okay. He's just passed out,"<em> Lucario spoke suddenly. Riley couldn't begin to wonder where he was. _"What he did-"_  
>"-had consequences, I know… I really hope he'll be okay, Luc. I don't want him being hurt…" more images raced through her mind- the way the blue suit and hat he wore matched his eyes, the way he looked when he was concentrating and saw the way that he looked when he smiled. She seemed to focus heavily on that smile, letting affection caress the mental images. "I don't want to lose him." He felt as if he was glowing at what he was witnessing, at knowing that she returned his feelings.<br>_"He doesn't want to lose you either," _Lucario replied, some affection entering his voice. _"He cares for you like one cares about their bond mate." _she felt happy knowing this. Even a little bashful.  
>"Why me? I'm not complaining or anything," was the hasty add on to the sentence. "It's just… I'm… boring." Lucario and Riley snorted. Dawn, boring? No way in hell!<br>_"He doesn't seem to think so… I think he's waking up." _Sure enough, Lucario's voice was becoming fainter as Riley's body began to stir. He groaned and was surprised at the strangeness of seeing and feeling the action from someone else's perspective. Dawn carefully lifted his head as he left hers.

* * *

><p>Opening his own eyes, he felt disorientated. Dawn looked down at him, worry written along her face. Lucario crouched next to her, obviously relieved.<br>"Hey," Riley managed, smiling blearily at them.  
>"You're okay!" Dawn cheered, a radiant smile appearing on her face as she hugged him. He hesitated in returning the hug, mind contemplative.<p>

Lucario, reading his motive, snorted.  
><em>"Screw it, Riley. You'll never know until you try."<em>

_"Get out of my mind," _Riley retorted, a little embarrassed as he remembered that Lucario could read his mind. Lucario laughed and returned to his conversation with Luna, who was apparently behind Dawn. He broke out of the hug and looked intently at her. She looked confused as he swallowed.  
>Screw it.<p>

Riley kissed her, feeling her emotions fly into him in a swarm as they connected. Surprise, delight, shock, content… through her eyes, he saw pure darkness illuminated with joy. He felt her dizziness as they broke apart, felt her try to make words but fail.  
>And as he felt his emotions turn back on, he smiled.<br>Perfect.


	20. FranticShipping

_-Bake Wars- (FranticShipping)  
>Requested by: Luvena.<em>

_**Due to very popular demand, ContestShipping shall be the next pairing.**_

* * *

><p>"I hate him right now," Sapphire announced with a glare at the bowl she was precariously holding. "Trust me to get the crappiest job out of the holders… ugh. I'm gonna kill my dad later."<br>"Yeah, I know what you mean… baking platefuls of cookies? I thought Yellow would have taken this," Ruby looked around at the kitchen with a woeful expression on his face, "but, obviously not…" both sighed heavily as they resumed whisking.

"I thought you liked cooking, though?" he added after a while. "You do have a girly side…" she rolled her eyes at his assumption.

"Yeah, I like cooking, but not so much sweets. Things like banquet dinners."  
>"Huh." He was impressed by that but didn't let it show. "That's… interesting." Stealing a glance, he saw that she was completely engrossed in some form of memory- her eyes were vacant and her mouth was agape. As stupid as she might have looked to other people, Ruby thought she looked cute. No, past cute- adorable. Yes, she looked adorable. She smiled suddenly, causing him to blush.<br>_Does she know I'm watching? _He wondered quickly, averting his eyes back to his bowl just in case.

"I can kinda remember a time when we were little… we were making some type of cookies with my mom for our dads. You complained a lot about it, saying that you really wanted a battle."  
><em>Phew, she doesn't… <em>frowning hard, he tried to recall a memory similar to that. As usual, no clear memories came up.

"I flicked dough at you and you got really offended… even flicked me back with it after saying I got it in your hair." Ah. Now the memory was starting to come back at her prompts. With a smile, he remembered her expression as he flicked dough back at her. She looked shocked, making him feel almost bad for retaliating. He'd tried to apologize, only to have dough flung into his mouth.

"Wasn't it choc chip cookies we were making?" he asked, setting his bowl aside. She considered this and slowly nodded.  
>"I think it was… I can clearly remember my mom getting really annoyed with us. She threw us out, so we went to your house. I snuck cookie dough and we snacked on that." Both laughed at that and sighed again. "Those were amazing days."<p>

"They were," he replied reminiscently. "I'd love to do that kind of stuff again…"  
>"Hey, Ruby." He looked up and squeaked as cookie dough flew towards him. Ducking, it sailed over his head.<p>

"Sapphire Birch!" he said, scandalized. She was laughing, imitating his movements. "I don't sound like that!" he added angrily, slowly standing up. She rolled her eyes and shrugged.  
>"What? We're both completely bored, Rubes. And didn't you just say you'd love to do that kind of stuff again?"<p>

"We're thirteen," he corrected her, straightening his hat. "We're too- HEY!" he ducked again as another clump flew towards him. "Too old, Saph!" she rolled her eyes again.

"Never too old. What are you, a scared little Skitty? Come on," she taunted, that tomboy-ish shine in her eyes. "Come and- whoa!" now it was her turn to duck as Ruby decided to throw his notions aside. "It's on!" she proclaimed with a smirk. "Come get me!"

With that, she jumped over a counter. He looked quickly around the kitchen, cursing his short sightedness as she hit him with cookie dough. The force was enough to bruise his thigh! He whined internally, copying her movements regardless.

* * *

><p><em> Thank goodness Red suggested that we change clothes… I'd never, ever hit my own design<em>, Ruby thought with a shudder. "Na, nah!" Sapphire jeered, peering over the top of the counter. She herself wore castoffs of Red's- a flannel shirt that bagged around her hips and sweats that were several sizes too big for her. Her usual headband was gone, as were her shoes. She called it being casual, he called it looking stupid.

"You look like a boy," Ruby told her flatly, looking down at his own garments. He wore similar clothes that had been altered to his liking (by him, of course) - a red singlet that had originally had holes in it and a comfortable pair of black jeans that had been taken up quite a bit. Both had black trimmings and a contest-like design on the back- one that was half finished due to Silver chasing him to the kitchen after taking too long.

* * *

><p>"I'll look like a chick again later… for now, I kick your ass," she called, producing yet another glob of brown specked dough. "Ha!" he rolled out of the way gingerly, smiling at the reckless fizz in his veins.<br>This was starting to become fun, he mused as a cluster hit Sapphire in the head. She began to laugh again, producing two more bowls. He paled and looked frantically around.

_CRAP! AH, wait! _He spotted a useful utensil and re-emerged from his base moments later.  
>"EN GARDE!" he roared, producing the egg beaters and whirling them. She stepped forward, bowl in hand, body tensed. After a stare down, they began to laugh again. Both were covered in dough and looked completely stupid. The kitchen looked like a war zone- something Yellow was going to screech about.<p>

"Truce?" Ruby asked, placing the egg beaters down. "And you have dough" –he leaned forward and gently pulled it out of her hair- "th-" despite having the bowl in her hands, Sapphire managed to kiss him. It was a short kiss that left the black haired boy panting for breath. The room suddenly felt extremely hot. With a small smile, he leaned forward again and kissed her back, for a longer time. His hand awkwardly landed on her shoulder as they broke apart again.  
>"Sorry," she mumbled before kissing him again.<p>

"Don't be," he replied upon breaking apart to kiss again. It didn't matter to him that he was covered in chocolate chip cookie dough or kissing a girl who was dressed like a boy and acted like a tomboy. He was happy like this.

"Hey, guys! What's happ- OH, MY MEW!" the two broke apart to see Yellow looking at the kitchen.  
>"Fricking run!" Sapphire yelped, grabbing Ruby's hand as Yellow began to scream.<p> 


	21. ContestShipping

_-So Much Cuter- (ContestShipping)  
>Requested by: rubyt8, Fprmr1, Mew Mew Pachirisu and PHOEBEZLAMENSTUPIDAZBRAH.<em>

"Thanks, May!" Max said happily, squeezing her hand as they straightened. "You did a good job!" she smiled down at her younger brother, satisfied that his grazed knee would soon heal without infection. Max didn't like to seek help from Brock, as nice as he was- if he had a problem, the bespectacled boy always turned to his sister.  
><em>As he always has,<em> she thought, tousling his hair. _Even when we were back home… I have to tell him._

She struggled with her words, staring into his eager eyes. An innocent smile was on his lips.  
>"What?" he asked, tilting his head. "Do you have something to tell me…?"<br>_I do, _she yelled internally, fighting with herself. _May, tell him. He needs to know…._

"…Just be careful next time, okay? Even in places like this…" her voice trailed off as something red peeked out of a nearby bush.  
><em>That can't be… can it? <em>She wondered, eyes widening. Max, oblivious, gave a serious nod as he surveyed the area.  
>"Geodudes are just around the corner. I know now… I'm sorry for making you worry, May," he replied apologetically. "I'll be a lot more careful. Promise." The red object quickly hid itself again as he spoke.<p>

"Alright… you go catch up with Ash, okay? I need a moment." He nodded and walked solidly back up the road to where Ash and Brock awaited- the place where Max had asked to meet them once May fixed him up. Giving a quick wave over her shoulder, she made her way over to the bush, searching for the familiar red rose that had popped out of it. Hesitantly, she slid a few fingers into the leaves.  
>"Are you looking for something?" an equally familiar voice asked from behind. She jumped and snatched her hand back as Roselia stuck its head out.<p>

* * *

><p>"Rose," it greeted, bowing its little head. Drew let out a small laugh as she turned to face him, tasting blood. He stood slightly turned, as if hiding something from her. Eagerness and shyness overrode irritation as the green haired boy winked at her.<p>

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself..." May rolled her eyes and tried to hide her eagerness, sucking her bitten lip. "How are you?"  
>"I've been okay… where did you end up going?" she asked, watching his hands. He shrugged and beckoned to Roserade. "We didn't see you on the road…"<p>

"Well, I went to Lilycove to enter Roselia in the master class," he replied casually, as if entering the highest class of contests happened every day. "Since we're heading for Johto soon and all…"  
>"Did you win?" May inquired, a little disappointed that she hadn't gotten to the master class first.<br>"What do you think?" Drew chuckled, lowering her spirits further. Roselia lifted its blue rose proudly to display the master class ribbon. It shone with a light that none of May's ribbons had- the light of superiority. Defiantly, she blinked and rolled her eyes.  
>Damn him for still being so cocky, she thought sourly as Roselia danced with joy.<p>

"Aw, are you jealous, Haruka?" Drew wondered snottily, observing her with curious green eyes. "You know, I _was _going to take you…"  
>"Then why the hell didn't you?" she demanded angrily, glaring at the spinning ribbon. "You brag about the freaking ribbon to what, rub it in my face?" the look died from his face at her outburst. "Because, I'll tell you something. I work my ass off to improve and be like you!"<br>"No, I didn't take you because you had things to do first," he answered slowly.  
>"Like what? Chase Ash around? Keep my brother in line?"<p>

"In a way, yeah. Have you told him you're leaving him behind yet?" as slowly as he spoke, May realized that he made sense. Her hands, previously curled into fists, dropped back to her sides and loosened. "You didn't, did you? May…" he sighed and shook his head. "He's going to find out in a few days." This was as serious as Drew could get. His tone was flat and firm, unlike hers as she spoke next.  
>"He's seven, Drew. I can't say anything yet," she mumbled ashamedly, staring at her feet. "I mean, how am I going to tell him I want to go to Johto without him?"<p>

"The same way you mentioned it to Ash and Brock. The same way you told your parents. The same way you told _me._" She looked up in time to see his expression soften; see the stern look disappear out of his eyes.  
>"Okay… I'll tell him when he comes back for me," she said with faint determination. "I won't torchic out this time." He smiled approvingly at her, making her smile back.<br>"That's what I like to hear… because you're strong. The princess of Hoenn has to be, does she not?" finally, he produced a rose from behind his back.

Her smile grew wider as she took it from him, mumbling her thanks. Sniffing, she inhaled the almost heavenly odours the lovely red flower contained. It made her close her eyes and calmed her nerves while her stomach flipped around. She could tell Max. She _would _tell Max, even if it killed her.  
>"Did you think I forgot you?" he asked from close by. "If you did… you're an idiot. I wouldn't forget you."<p>

_And he wouldn't, _she knew whole wholeheartedly, hands trembling as her stomach flips increased in tempo. Roselia began to hum quietly as she opened her eyes. Drew was still smiling at her- in a teasing way. Her smile faltered underneath that.  
>"What?" she asked hesitantly, dropping her eyes. "Wha- oh!" hidden in the petals of the rose sat a folded piece of paper. It was gold in color and, upon closer inspection, smelt like roses. "What's this?"<p>

"Open it and find out," he suggested, crossing his arms. "Took ya long enough…" he added with fake sarcasm. Blushing, May handed the rose back to a stationary Roselia and opened the paper up, hungrily reading the words. She couldn't help but gasp as she looked happily back up at him.  
>"A voucher to a noodle shop in Johto? This is for me?" she hugged him while jumping up and down. "Thank you, thank-"<br>"-no."

"What?" she stepped back to read the name again, getting a little angry. "Um, this has my name on it, so it's mine!"  
>"Yeah, your name is on it… but, it's not just for you." He spoke with a bit of laughter in his voice as she flared up. "You see… I'm going, too." He produced his own paper with a smirk and looked at her dead on. "You didn't think you were going alone?"<p>

"Drew, you are a freaking ass," she growled, pointing at him. "Do not joke about noodles again!"  
>"Alright, alright. Calm down, May. Actually," he shrugged choosing his words carefully, "don't. You're cute when you're angry."<p>

"I'll give you cute in a second…" it was as if Groudon had been reincarnated in a female body- May was nearly breathing fire as she glared him down. "I'm… wait… what?" a very easily confused Groudon that was rapidly turning pink. Her eyes dimmed and turned hopeful as Roselia tugged on his sleeve.  
>"Li," it urged, looking between them.<p>

"Damn. Your brother and Ash are coming," he complained, looking back towards where Max had walked. "We'll continue this soon, I think."  
>"Can't you stay?" she complained back, disappointed. Sadness made her grip the rose's thorns tighter. "You shouldn't have to go…"<p>

"Eh, it adds an edge of mystery," he claimed, pocketing his paper again. "And I'll be seeing you soon enough." Her spirits rose again as he promised that. Smiling in an almost sweet way, he took her hand. Heart accelerating, she froze and watched him step closer. She felt him brush the hair out of her face and knew exactly what he was intending to do.  
><em>This is it… <em>Smiling nervously, she closed her eyes- only to feel nothing touch her lips.

* * *

><p>"Wha?" she asked, opening her eyes again. He smirked above her while Roselia looked anxiously behind them again. Realization dawned on her like a ton of bricks. "Drew, you f-" laughing, he kissed her then, cutting off a very nasty word. Her eyes widened in surprise and her body went nearly numb from shock as he pulled away.<p>

"-freaking nice person," he finished for her, staring at her in a way she'd never seen before. "Thank you, lovely. Well, gotta run. Can you stand?" he added quickly, hearing Max's voice grow louder. She nodded, or at least she thought she did. "Good. Okay. Bye… see you soon," he whispered, kissing her again before letting go, a smile on his face as he ran into the distance. Roselia ran behind him, roses flailing.  
>"Bye," she whispered, beginning to smile as Max came around the corner.<p> 


	22. RendShipping

_-In our Hands- (RendShipping)  
>Requested by: Shiny Kirby.<br>_

The noise was quiet at first, but it filled her with dread. She knew that sound all too well- it was the sound of someone traveling through time.  
><em>They can't have failed! The two of them were on to it! <em>She told herself firmly, straightening as the sound became louder. _He'll be okay… What am I saying? It's Grovyle! _The stubborn Pokémon wouldn't let himself fail again- he knew the consequences all too well. They all did.

_But if he succeeds, we cease to exist… all for a good cause, _she remembered grimly, shooting into the air and closing her eyes. _You've known this all along...But does it make any easier? _ She could see the air begin to distort in her mind, glowing with an eerie blue light as the sound grew louder.

Celebi flew forward, impatience written across her face as her eyes opened again. She needed to see what the fate of the world was. If she, Grovyle and Amie had finally brought back the peace the world needed… or if Primal Dialga's insanity had cost them the planet.

_Amie. _The former human was just as stubborn, if not more than, Grovyle. She, Grovyle and her parents had been the first ones to work towards saving the world. Instead of idle chatter or complaints, they'd turned her little cottage into a base. Grovyle had firmly worked for hours alongside Amie and herself, searching for the missing time gears. They'd had moderate success until Primal Dialga had heard about their mission.  
><em>That was the day he left, <em>Celebi remembered sadly. _The cottage had been completely destroyed, leaving them the only unfrozen objects. Amie's parents had sacrificed themselves to give the trio a head start._

* * *

><p>"<em>We love you, sweetheart. You can do this!" Amie's mother shouted encouragingly. "We'll meet again!" Amie faltered in her footsteps briefly, eyes filled with tears.<br>"Amie, forget them! We can't turn back now!" Grovyle shouted, running ahead with ease. The young girl began to cry as she ran alongside him, trying not to look back at the destruction behind her.  
>"Parting hurts, but it's for the best," she mumbled to herself, wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand.<br>"Exactly… you'll meet them again," Celebi reassured her hurriedly, forest blurring around them. "We're here, Grovyle," she added, sorrow filling her._

_"Celebi, are you ready?" he asked. There was no hesitation as she nodded, preparing to send them back into a past none had ever seen. Grovyle looked steadily at her then, silently thanking her for sacrificing her existence. The colorless background made his features stand out distinctly- the yellow of his eyes, the red of his stomach. Now, she hesitated as a thousand memories played in her mind:  
>A rueful smile from him as he considered a suggestion of hers. Accidentally brushing against his arm and blushing under his questioning gaze. His laugh as she attempted to cheer him up.<em>

_This could be goodbye- it IS goodbye, she thought, glancing at him. There was no time for tearful farewells, no time for the embrace she longed for.  
>"If I don't see you again," she began quietly, only to be intercepted with,<br>"No time… we will meet again, Celebi. I'll see you on the other side. Ready?" taking a deep breath and glancing behind her to see the rapidly approaching enemies, she bade them farewell and summoned a portal- tears falling down her own face as she forced herself to crack a joke.  
>Goodbye…<em>

* * *

><p>At that moment, Celebi longed to feel time fly past her. It hadn't been the first time in this life giving mission, but it was the first time she'd desired it to such a scale.<br>_I'll never feel that… Never. If it is Grovyle… no, I can't afford to ask. Celebi, stop moping!_ She ordered herself, kicking her feet against the leaves of the tree she was perched in. Closing her eyes again, she willed herself to focus.

Being the guardian of the forest, she could pinpoint where the time traveler had landed- wait, could that be… traveller_s_? Faltering, she frowned at her findings. She could feel not one, but _three_ beings entering the forest. Suspicious, she let her mind travel to that outskirt- and nearly fell out of the tree.  
><em>No… <em>fear filled her as she recognized the first Pokémon. _He failed… but how? How could Grovyle fail?_

* * *

><p><em>Grovyle quickly immersed himself in dirt, surrounded by a group of Pokémon. Beside him, a Chimchar scorched another opponent with a vicious flame filled attack before coming to the aid of a third Pokémon- a wide eyed, determined Treeko. A pendant sat around its neck, depicting a design that Celebi couldn't make out in that light.<br>Amie was nowhere to be seen_, she realized with a start_. _

She quickly scanned the vicinity, pausing to watch Grovyle reappear, slamming into the Pokémon he was battling.

_Upon the enemy fainting, he looked back at the Chimchar. Spoke to it before the three continued on. The Treeko looked at him with untrusting eyes, lingering to mutter something to the Chimchar. The monkey grasped its green wrist and shook its head imploringly, muttering a few words of its own. They shared a glance before the Treeko sighed, resignedly agreeing to whatever had been said._

_Oddly enough, there was trust in the Chimchar's gaze as it looked towards Grovyle._

* * *

><p><em>She's gone… but I feel her presence.<em> _How? _Celebi wondered with another frown. _Ah, no time to ponder it… I have to get ready. Undoubtedly, they're going to need my help…  
><em>"I'm coming, Grovyle," she called, disappearing into the forest.  
><em>And this time, we won't fail. I promise you…<em>


	23. TraumaShipping

_-My Girlfriend- (TraumaShipping)  
>Requested by: Mew Mew Pachirisu.<br>_

_**Just to be clear, the ages of the characters have been bumped a little (and so it should be for this pairing… just look at the rumors as to why Brock left). Ash, Misty and Gary are about fourteen, Brock is seventeen and Ivy is around nineteen. Some sexual innuendos ahead. **_

_**Slight Songfic (some of the wording has been edited) to My Girlfriend by Uncle Kracker.**_

* * *

><p>"More tea, sir?" the waiter inquired. He had a friendly smile on his face, almost boyish. He didn't look old enough to be a waiter- maybe sixteen or seventeen,<br>"Nah… no thanks," was the reply. The teenage boy stared aimlessly around the cabin, trying to clear his head of what he'd seen.  
>"Very well." He picked up Brock's half filled cup and turned to leave before the Asian boy got an idea.<p>

"Oh, hey! Wait! Can- can I borrow your pen?" he asked lamely, slightly embarrassed. "I got some stuff I want to write down."  
>"Of course, sir." The blue and gold pen was handed over without a fuss. <em>Black and gold…<em> Brock shuddered at the colors. They reminded him of _her_. The one girl who he'd thought he had. "I'll be reading if you need me…" the waiter bowed his head and trotted to the far corner, but Brock had already begun writing.

"_**Hey mom and dad, I don't know where to start.  
>I hate to break the news… but I got a broken heart," <strong>_he began with a sigh. Of course, this letter wasn't going anywhere _near _his family. His mother would have a heart attack if she knew what her eldest son had just been through. His father would probably faint in his seat as well._**  
>"That sweet professor by the name of Miss. Ivy?<br>She's got a hickey on her neck and it's not from me…."**_

* * *

><p><em>His head shot up as he heard the lab's door slam. Grinning like an eager fool, he clutched the flowers in his hand and stood up.<em>

_Ivy was a type of flower, right? And she __**was**__ a girl. So, surely she'd like flowers, he reasoned as she entered the room. She had an almost flirty kind of grin on her own face as she walked and her eyes were shiny. She looked really happy- but it fell as she saw him._

_"Hey, baby," he greeted her happily, not noticing the look. "I, uh, got you some flowers." Carefully, he handed the roses over, awaiting a reaction. She took them and held them to her nose, pretending to sniff them. "Do you like them? They had gardenias, but I thought roses suited you better," he added with a hasty blush.  
>"They're… nice," Ivy said in her usual voice. "Thanks, Brock. That was very thoughtful of you." He beamed, oblivious to the almost guilty look that crossed her face as he hugged her.<em>

_"It's okay. Anything for my girl," he told her, kissing her cheek. "And" –his words came to a screeching halt as she awkwardly moved away. There, on her small neck, was a bite mark. It looked fresh- maybe an hour old. Only just beginning to bruise- "I…" he gave up talking as he continued to stare at the hickey. He and Ivy had been together for a month but had never actually kissed. He was only permitted to kiss her cheek and hug her around the waist.  
>So… who was that from? He wondered angrily as she caught his look. A blush crossed her face and she made an excuse to leave the room.<br>As she did, Brock began to curse._

* * *

><p><strong>"Seems there's someone special she's been meeting at the gym…"<strong> he didn't believe it, at first. Maybe it'd been a trick of the light? It hadn't been there when she'd returned to the room ten minutes later; face guarded again as she'd hugged him.  
><em>"We should get back to research," she decided coolly, turning back to the computer.<em>

_"Hey, um… Ives?" she stiffened at the nickname but turned to questioningly look at him. "Uh… you didn't… have a hickey, did you? Right… there?" he pointed it out on his own neck but kept his eyes on her. Ivy froze and turned back to the computer, shaking her head later than necessary.  
>"No, you must have been mistaken," she replied uneasily. His spirits sunk as she asked him to help her, requesting him to go and do some field research.<br>"Yeah," he answered, glancing back at her neck. "I'll do some field research, alright."_

* * *

><p>As a rule, he never went through a ladies' purse. It was, as his mother had taught him, rude. You could also get charged for it… so, he'd never done it until now.<p>

_Sure, he felt guilty for going through the mauve colored purse, but he needed some kind of reassurance that he was wrong. His girlfriend couldn't be cheating on him! It had to be some kind of hormonal crap. Her purse contained four sets of keys, her ID, licenses, a shopping list (the items on that made him raise his eyebrows and hope to hell it was him that she was buying those things for), a few memos, some pictures of her family and a credit card.  
>Apart from that… nothing out of the ordinary, he supposed with a frown. But why would she have four sets of keys?<em>

_"Brock?" he jumped and hastily put the purse back in its place as she called out to him. "You in here?"  
>"Yeah," he replied, jumping to his feet. "What's up?"<br>"I'm going out to the gym with Faith," she said casually. "Won't be back til later…"  
>"Yeah, that's okay. Have fun." He swore he could hear her giggle as she replied,<br>"Always."_

* * *

><p>"…<em><strong>And then I found pictures on her cellular phone,<br>Of them doin' things when I wasn't home."**_

_Wide eyed, he dropped the cell phone. That couldn't be right… It seriously couldn't! He was stunned, staring disbelievingly at the wall, a grin shooting across his heated face.  
>Wait… I better check again… slowly, he picked it up again and nearly fainted as he saw the image again. Ivy lay grinning in a position that made him hot under the collar.<br>That explains everything. Aren't you a dumbass for thinking she was a cheater? He asked himself smugly, pumping the air with his fist. Ah, yeah. I'm gonna get- he dropped the cell again along with the grin as the next image popped up.  
>"I saw wrong. I saw wrong," he muttered, glancing towards the door as he bent to pick it up again. "I didn't see wrong…" the last sentence was a groan as he flicked through the images.<br>_

"_**It hit me like a brick.  
>I guess, I should have seen the signs…<br>This was more than just a friend  
>And a bottle of wine."<strong>_

* * *

><p>He'd been finished before he'd seen the last videos. The things he'd seen had made him pack his bags and leave within the hour… now he sat in the blimp, staring at the paper he'd written on. Would anyone believe him? He wondered, re-reading his words with a shudder. Professor Oak would beat him up for sure. Ash… well, Ash is <em>way <em>too young to know this stuff. Especially where maturity is concerned. Misty would faint or hit him several times with the mallet.

Out of everyone he knew, only one person seemed to suit this letter. Someone who Ash despised but could be trusted to keep a secret- shit, the kid was a pimp by the age of ten. Smiling slightly, he crossed out the names of the addressee.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>I guess I'm not as sad as you think I might be…<br>The thing that makes me mad is that they didn't invite me," **_the boy read. He blanched at the content of the letter but let himself chuckle. He'd seen worse, after all. He was an Oak. He was _the_ Oak.  
>"And so you should be," he muttered, raising his glass to the roof. "I'd be pretty upset if my girlfriend had a lot of girlfriends... oh, hey." Taking a sip of his coffee, he laughed as the 'timid' assistant picked up. "Hey, I'm thinking of becoming a Pokemon researcher...? Yeah, I'll hold."<p>

"_**My Girlfriend's got some girlfriends now.  
>It was cool for a minute, now it's bringing me down.<br>People talking 'bout it all over this town…  
>My Girlfriend's got some girlfriends now."<strong>_

"So, yeah. I can trust you to keep this between us, right? I don't want this getting out for obvious reasons.  
>Thanks a ton. I'll be sure to keep you posted if she swings it back this way... actually, no, I won't.<br>-Brock."

_**Poor, poor Brock.**_


	24. ColosseumShipping

_-I'll Stand by You- (ColosseumShipping)  
>Requested by: Shiny Kirby.<br>_

_**This is the one shipping I could find very little about. I knew of this scene but not what transpires… so, I made my own version.**_

* * *

><p>Two teenagers watched the news, mouths agape as the anchorman finished speaking. The girl, a ginger haired girl of fourteen, finally turned to stare at her partner.<br>"Wes…" she started, eyes darting back to the TV. He continued to stare at it, looking almost lost. "Wes," she said more firmly, "we both know that that isn't true. _You_ know that isn't true."  
>"They don't seem to think so," he mumbled back, face expressionless.<br>"Then we'll convince them!"

"Why bother?" he asked listlessly, sunglasses falling down to rest on his nose. "They won't listen… why listen to an ex- Snagger, right?" Rui looked at him, shocked. The usually confident boy sounded like the air had been knocked out of his lungs, like all hope in the world had been taken from him. She shivered at that thought, downed at his sadness. She had to make him better…. She just _had _to.

"You're a hero, Wes. Come on! We can do this! We WILL do this!" she gripped the black shoulder pad of his suit and shook it, trying to knock sense into him. "What happened to my knight in shining armor?" she added, staring at what felt like his shadow. "He wouldn't let him get this down-" he turned to face her, face anguished. His tawny eyes drilled into her as his hand gripped hers. She shivered at the touch, surprised.

"You have no idea," he said in a quiet, emotion filled voice, "just how bad it is to have a reputation as a former snatcher. Everyone looks at you like you're scum. Everyone! They mutter things as you walk past. You have no idea how they know, but they sure as hell do. They think you're going to go back to what you once wanted! You don't know… how much I worked to not be associated with them anymore. I worked so frigging hard and this is my result?" his voice had risen as the emotions from the silent boy. His eyes filled with tears as he looked at her, voice giving out. The knight had crumbled in a matter of minutes.

"Wes…" she said quietly, lost for words at his emotion. "I'm sorry… we'll fix it, you know we will." She gripped his hand back and squeezed it, trying to comfort him. "I promise you, sweets."  
>"It's not going to work this-" she placed a finger on his lips, bug like eyes fierce as he tried to argue back.<br>"-no, I'm not taking that and you damn well know it. _This will work out, Wes_. Trust me," she finished imploringly. After what felt to her like years, he finally nodded and sighed,

"Alright… but if it's Gonzap again, I'm taking him on." Filled with renewed vigor, she gave him a quick hug.  
>"It can't be… but, if I'm wrong, go for it," she said in his ear. He returned her hug carefully and pulled her in for another one.<p>

"You… you were the first one to not judge me on my career. You treat me like I'm normal… even a respectable human. Thank you, Rui. It means a lot…" his voice was filled with gratitude as she pulled back to beam at him.  
>"Because you are a respectable human, silly. Doesn't matter where you came from- you're still the Wes that I care about…" she halted in her tracks for a moment, but steamrollered on with, "and I always will care about. We're a team."<p>

"We're the damn A-team on a flying bike," he agreed, rubbing her back with a smile of his own. "And you know what the best part is?"  
>"What?"<br>"We give a damn about each other. Through thick and thin…" he watched her in an almost shy way as she blushed at his implications.  
>"I'll stand by you," she finished, squeezing his hands again.<p> 


	25. PreciousMetalHunterShipping

_-Sound Travels- (PreciousMetalShipping/HunterShipping)  
>Requested by: AnnaLucilleLuli and Animefreak8810.<br>_

_**Yes, I know that they're two different shippings, but I'm too lazy to make two separate fics. Therefore, the two have been conjoined in this fic. Gold is Ethan's nickname, if you get confused. (Yes, it's slash. Next chapter is up for those who really don't want to read this)**_

* * *

><p>"We've gotta be close to the summit, right?" Ethan asked his taller companion. "This place goes on <em>forever<em>…" the sentence ended in a groan as the boy straightened his goggles and sighed. The legendary beast accompanying him shook his head and looked suspiciously at the falling snow, taking a few steps backwards. "Entei, chill. It's not going to eat you," Ethan laughed, patting its fur.

Entei would yelp and growl menacingly at the drops each time they landed on its head, dancing around until its internal fire dried the damp patches. Ethan found this to be hilarious. Entei, on the other hand, did not.

At Ethan's words, it scowled and bared its razor teeth, dodging another snowflake.

"Entei," it growled unhappily. "Tei, En, nen, Tei!" Ethan considered this with a sigh and shook his head, glancing ahead.  
>"I know how fast you can run, but I don't know if that counts as cheating… YES! There's another cave ahead!" he suddenly cheered, leaping into the air. Entei let out a cheer of its own, disgruntlement forgotten as it too saw a safe haven from the annoying sleet.<p>

"Entei!" Entei carefully knelt down, looking its trainer in the eyes. That, Ethan knew, showed just how much the beast trusted him- and that honoured him. Carefully sliding onto the warm back, he gripped two tufts of brown fur and locked his knees.  
>"Okay! Let's go! YEAH!" Entei straightened and, after a roar, shot towards the cave.<p>

* * *

><p>The roar made him turn his head in spite of himself. It was more of a bellow, he decided, glancing towards the entrance. A familiar one at that… Feraligatr flinched at the sudden noise and jumped forward, knocking Silver onto his knees. The boy cussed loudly, shooting the crocodilian Pokémon a glare. "Fuck, <em>calm down<em>!" he stumbled over to where he now knelt, legs as wobbly as a newborn ponyta's as he apologized. "Fucking hell, Feraligatr…" it was hard to pull his emotions back in, but he managed it, deciding that screaming at the second Pokémon to trust him would accomplish nothing.

He was a new man; one that treated his Pokémon with respect. The transition between asshole and kind hearted person would never fully be accomplished; he never expected it to be. He wasn't Gold, after all.  
>Gold. He scowled and huffed at the mention of his rival, causing his Pokémon to roll his eyes.<br>"Fer," he claimed, gesturing with his claws. Silver glared at him, shocked at the implications.  
>"No, I don't!" Feraligatr rolled his eyes again as his trainer shoved a stray strand out of his face, irritated.<br>"Gatr…"  
>"I would NOT be happy if I admitted to it! There is nothing to admit!" he argued heatedly, hitting the ground with his fist. "Gold is an idiot. JUST AN IDIOT."<br>"Feraligatr," came the replying sigh.

After calming down, Silver absently began to stroke Feraligatr's head, waiting for the owner of the bellows to appear. He was still angry at what Feraligatr had implied- that he, what, _liked _Gold?  
>Pah! He spat on the ground and shook his head. Ethan Hibiki was his rival. Self proclaimed best friend. His nickname was <em>Gold<em>, for Arceus's sake.  
>No, he didn't like him and never would. The only gay person out of the two of them was Gold.<p>

In spite of himself, he sneezed. His head flew forward, head butting the red crested Pokémon that was lying in his lap.  
><em>Great, I'm getting sick; <em>he complained internally, cussing as he rubbed his head.  
>"Sorry," he apologized, opening his eyes.<br>As he did, an Entei appeared in the cave.

_What the hell?_ He straightened his back and rubbed his eyes. Surely he was seeing wrong. There wasn't an Entei in this cave… and his rival was certainly NOT sitting on its back, groaning.  
>It couldn't be the Entei he'd battled with… right?<p>

* * *

><p>"Gatr?" Feraligatr asked as the legendary slowly trotted out of sight. It was as bewildered as he was.<br>"I think so," Silver replied with a frown, confused at what he'd seen. Ethan couldn't have caught Entei or any of the beasts- he was too slow. Too weak, he argued internally. Maybe it was the pro- no, that would be laughable.

Even though Elm had turned out to be very understanding and had accepted his apology with a nervous smile, he wasn't a strong man. Entei's roars would have sent him into a state… would have made him wet himself. "You need a break." Feraligatr frantically shook his head, looking imploringly up at his trainer. "You do, bud. You're looking… tired. Okay?" His head slumped with a defeated sigh. "You didn't let me down… how can you battle like this?" reaching into a red striped pocket, he found the right Pokéball. "Return…" he muttered, recalling the big jawed Pokémon after stroking his face. As the pressure disappeared off of his knees, he sighed.

"I knew it!" a familiar voice laughed. Silver stiffened and turned to glare at the intruder, agitated. Ethan had a stupid grin on his face and was dancing around.  
>"Knew what, idiot?" Silver asked coldly, clenching his fists. By Arceus above, he <em>hated <em>being spied on. Something he'd inherited from his dick faced father, no doubt.

"That you were actually really nice. Duh!" Ethan replied, imitating his facial expression. "How come you never called _me_ bud?"  
>"Because I think you're an idiot?"Entei shuffled into view then, watching him with a guarded expression on his face. Recognition lit its features, but it continued to stay close to Ethan.<br>_It __**is**__ that Entei… Damnit!_ He had really wanted to catch it!

"When did you get an Entei?" he inquired coldly, changing the subject as Ethan opened his mouth to argue back. "Didn't think you had it in you…" he didn't bother mentioning that he'd battled alongside it… after all, he _was _talking to Gold. He'd probably forgotten that part of the ordeal.  
>"I used a Master Ball… not that it matters," Ethan said defensively, looking at the watching Entei. "We're pretty close. Did you know it knows iron tail?" Silver raised his eyebrows, hearing the obvious lie as it was said. "It's realllly strong, too. Could knock you on your butt!"<p>

"Really? With a wisp of smoke?" Entei narrowed its eyes and growled. "Wow, must be a pretty harsh attack… but, with a trainer like you…"  
>"Oh, yeah? Well, I'll show you!" Ethan requested, eyes flashing as he pulled out his cue. "Come on, battle me! I challenge you, right here and-"<br>"-as much as I'd love to… I'm going to battle Red." Ethan halted suddenly. "Jealous, Gold?"

"I'm going to battle Red…" Ethan replied slowly. "So, uh…" there was an awkward pause in which Entei finally dropped its gaze. "I'll race you there!" he turned and began to sprint away, nearly colliding into Entei. "Whoever wins battles Red!" Silver immediately followed him, determined to be there first as Ethan began to laugh.

"Where's your scooter, fag boy?" Silver called, overtaking him with a smirk. Gold huffed from behind, offended at the innuendo Silver had implied.  
>"Scooters are amazing, thank you!"<br>"And so are goggles that make you look like an idiot. I knew I saw you on the fashion channel one time…"  
>"Why the heck were you even watching the fashion channel?" Silver slowed his stride for a minute to look at a flushed Ethan.<p>

"…It was a joke," he said, raising his eyebrows. Ethan forcibly laughed, looking embarrassed.  
>"Yeah… of course it was… I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS!" he ran forward but lost his footing in the process, falling flat on his face with a yell. As he landed, Silver hesitantly looked forwards and then looked back at his rival.<br>_He saved your skin once before… screw it. _He came to a halt and turned, returning to a dazed Ethan's side. He groaned as Silver awkwardly knelt beside him. Both were silent for a moment as Ethan sat up again.

"My knees… Owww, my knees," he whined, holding them. "They're not bleeding, are they? Wait… dumb question," he added hastily as Silver opened his mouth. Uncovering them, he sighed in relief. Entei was by his side again in an instant, concerned.

"He's fine," Silver told it, helping the boy back to his feet. Ethan blushed as his hand was taken, Entei knowingly chuckling at something.  
>"Quiet, you!" Ethan shot, hiding his face. Silver raised his eyebrows again.<br>"Huh," is all he said as he watched the blushing rival. _  
>I was actually right. No surprise there, but… shit.<em>

"I'm not gay!" Ethan said hastily, driving the confirmation further. "Especially for- oh, who am I kidding?" he sighed, pulling his goggles down over his eyes.  
>"…You are aware I knew that already, right?" Ethan blushed again and pouted.<p>

"Yeah? Well… It's not like you've made it obvious, too!" the red head froze, temporarily shocked as Ethan hurried on with, "Yeah, that's right! I heard what you said to Feraligatr! You denied it but you always act differently around me. Always! And… and, you're not interested in Green!"  
>"Gold?" Silver said finally.<br>"Yeah, what?" Ethan demanded in between breaths. He needed to catch his breath again after a tirade like that.  
>"Shut up." He looked around guiltily then, placing a hand to his mouth.<br>"Oops," he said meekly.

"Yeah, oops." Silver sighed again, looking around the cave again. "You're lucky there's no one here but us… sound apparently travels." Now, he felt a little guilty and embarrassed. Gold had heard the entire tantrum he'd thrown which, he decided finally, sounded like a lie even to him.  
><em>Crap. <em>Who would have guessed that he had some sort of thing for Gold? Certainly not him. _Green will be impressed for sure, _he thought with a wry smile. _She'd tell everyone if she knew she'd been right._

"Yeah… pretend this never happened, or…?" Ethan looked awkwardly at their hands.  
>"Kiss me first. Wait a second, why am I even-!"<br>_It's never a good idea to encourage Gold… even if you didn't mean to blurt it out._


	26. FlareBusterShipping

_-Snapshot- (Trip X Georgia)  
>Requested by: Rat2rrj<em>

"Good job, team. Now… let's get some sleep. Who knows what we'll face tomorrow?" Trip said with a yawn, returning his team to their Pokéballs. With a glance towards the rising moon, he gave a rare smile. "One step closer…" he mumbled, walking towards the town. His usually calm, collected mind gracefully gave away to sluggish tiredness as he continued walking, slinging his bag back across his shoulders.  
>Lost in the cacophony of emolgas chirping, an object fell into the grass- one that Trip would surely go mad about by daybreak.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hey, watch where you're- HEY!" Trip snapped back to reality to see a furious looking girl to his side.<br>"What?" he asked in an uncaring tone, wanting only to continue on.  
>"Are you one of those people who need a guide-herdier or something? Because you can't see for shit," she rudely replied, lifting her chin challengingly. She wore a simple yellow hat with, he saw as she crossed her arms, matching gloves.<p>

"I'm sorry. I didn't see where-"  
>"-damn straight, you didn't…" she interrupted; glare cooling as she assessed him. A strange slight excited her eyes as she shook her head with a small sigh. "Nope, you're not one of them," she mumbled, stepping away. "Sorry. Go ahead." Trip raised an eyebrow, inwardly confused.<br>_One of what? _As he voiced this, she smiled, revealing even white teeth.

"I'm a dragon buster," she said importantly. "Which means-"  
>"-oh, you're one of them." Trip was unimpressed by this revelation- dragon busters were almost as bad as the hicks from the boonies. The girl's smile became challenging as he shrugged his shoulders. "Eh. Those… thugs are ridiculous."<p>

"Ridiculous?" her voice became shrill as he insulted her. "You got a problem with me? I could probably win against you! You don't look tough…" at this challenge, he offered her a thin smile. A shred of emotion as he internally decided to accept the challenge tomorrow.

"You're on… not now, though. I'm tired." She opened her mouth to protest, so he held up his hand and continued with, "Just let me take your picture. That way, I'll remem" –he froze and looked down at his pockets, concerned. He began to rummage through them, growing increasingly worried. "-my camera… It's gone!" he said finally, suddenly wide awake.

* * *

><p>"Where were you?" the girl asked with a yawn as Trip frantically retraced his steps. "Here?" in the dim light, Trip could make out an almost familiar shape- a carving in the tree he'd snapped before finishing his training, possibly?<p>

"Think so… can you shine the light onto that tree, please?" he pointed and felt some sort of relief as the torch the girl held showed, in detail, that he HAD been here. "Yeah, I was here. But where would I have dropped it..?" she pointed the torch at the ground as his eyes turned thoughtful.  
>"What color is it?" she inquired, sounding slightly annoyed. "Green?" he shook his head and followed the torch's light as it moved across the ground.<p>

"It's teal colored…. There!" he pounced towards a reflecting speck on the ground and smiled widely as he felt the camera's edge; felt that there wasn't a scratch on it. Straightening after almost hugging it to his chest (he wouldn't do that in front of a stranger… or anyone) he stared at the dragon buster who'd helped him. She looked surprised and cold as she wrapped her arms around herself. For good reason, too- she wore only a short sleeved shirt and what he thought was a vest over that. Not a hoodie or jacket in sight.

"It meant that much to you?" she asked, watching him shove the camera back into his orange jacket's pocket. He nodded, quickly recollecting himself as she continued to watch him.

"Yeah. With this, I can record my journey. Losses, wins…" he shrugged, keeping his hand in his pocket. "My way of remembering." She thought about this and nodded slowly.  
>"Huh. Oh, yeah. I'm Georgia," she added with a faint smile. "Still want a battle? I expect my rivals to be… tough. Not weak little wannabes." <em>Like Ash Ketchum? <em>He wanted to add with a chuckle. Part of him wondered if she'd met the so called 'traveler' or his companions. She'd probably met Iris, seeing as she had grown up in the Village of Dragons.

"Yeah? Thought you were a dynamic dragon buster?" he reminded her instead, retrieving his camera from his pocket. As he focused, she complained about his choice of words, adding a few that he easily returned.

* * *

><p>The snapshot of Georgia showed an annoyed red head in the middle of saying something. Trip chuckled as he reviewed the shot, deciding that he liked this rival. She, unlike Ash, could entertain him. After the shot had been taken, she'd decided to forgive him- saying that she expected a battle as soon as they both woke up. After reasoning, they'd decided to meet at noon by the Pokémon center.<p>

_Wonder how many pictures she'll be in from now on?_


	27. OnTheRocksShippingWhiteTopShipping

_-Confidence- (Cress X Hilda)  
>Requested by: giselle.<em>

_**This contain flashbacks. It is speculated by some that the trainer mentioned **is **White/Black's father, but it is both unlikely and unconfirmed.  
><strong>_

* * *

><p>"<em>What I desire is a world for Pokémon, and Pokémon alone. I will separate Pokémon from people, so Pokémon can regain their original power.<em> " he stated this almost as if it had been rehearsed beforehand. His head was turned to the side, his eyes closed. She saw what he didn't- the almost predatory smirk that crossed his adviser's face. The whole situation saddened her, but there was no turning back now.

"And what happens to you, N? You're going to lose your friends… you're going to lose Reshiram…" her voice cracked as Ghetsis shot her a vehement glare. While only one eye conveyed this message, the other seemed to be twice as sinister. She gulped, gaze wavering as N frowned.  
>"Do you not understand?" he asked in an exasperated way, motioning to Ghetsis. "I don't lose them… I lose the cruelty that comes with being a trainer."<p>

"No, you're"-she began, meaning to highlight the cruel fate in store for him, but he interrupted her with-  
>"You came all this way to battle me… But Zekrom is not responding." She glanced at the dark stone in her hands, knowing his words to be true.<br>_I've failed… Cress, I failed, _she thought, remembering the first person to have complete faith in her.

* * *

><p><em>"Looks like you'll be facing me," he said cheerfully, clasping his hands. She struggled with words, struggled to show the confidence that Cheren and Bianca had always portrayed. They made it seem so easy! Cheren could speak to an entire room for hours without having an awkward silence. Bianca could talk to and become friends with almost anyone- she had a high chance of even becoming friends with that N guy that she'd run into in the previous city.<em>

_Who was he? There was something strange about him, that was for sure. Cheren had bluntly called him a freak upon meeting him while Bianca had giggled about how 'hot' the boy was. Pulling herself back to reality, she nodded weakly at his expectant expression._  
><em>"That'd… be great," she agreed, nearly dropping her Pokéball in her haste to cover up that lack of attention.<em>

* * *

><p>"What?" she asked, mortified at what had been said. Both Ghetsis and N frowned at her choice of word, at her apparent lack of manners. "I didn't hear you…"<br>"He doesn't have to repeat himself to someone as uncouth as you," retorted Ghetsis. The steel in his voice made her flinch and N's frown become deeper. "You're almost as bad as your fa-"

"-Ghetsis," he reminded his adviser stiffly. Ghetsis glared at him and raised a fist that was quickly dropped and replaced with a simpering smile as N opened his eyes to stare at White. His eyes, she noticed now, were a light shade of blue.

_Cress… _she thought of her blue eyed friend and again wondered where he was. N studied her intently, looking into her eyes before focusing on the stone in her hands. There was no friendliness or gentleness in his eyes; only disappointment.

"…You haven't yet been recognized as the hero, have you?" he repeated, shaking his head as she hung hers. "How disappointing. I actually kind of liked you a little… Through our many battles, I got the feeling that you might be a trainer who truly cares for Pokémon!"

* * *

><p><em>"Hey." She heard the gym leader speak but didn't look up from her spot on the ground. "Can I talk to you?"<em>  
><em>"Sure," she muttered, caressing her Pokéballs. The brother she'd faced, Cress, had defeated her in under ten minutes. She'd blankly stared at the fallen Tepig with tears in her eyes before scooping it up and running from the gym. <em>

_Come home, her father had said quietly once she'd told him about her loss. Come home and we can train. Maybe you can help the professor instead for a while… don't beat yourself up over this. Give it time…_

_"That was a hard defeat… are you alright?" Cress asked, sitting beside her. She shook her head sadly as her father's words replayed in her head again._  
><em>You're too soft. Too feminine to be a trainer… so why bother? Why bother becoming a trainer? She wondered, visualizing her father standing beside her. You're not dad. You never will be.<em>

_"I'm weak," she said finally, head drooping. "I should probably just give up…"_  
><em>"Why?" Cress sounded surprised. "It was your first gym battle…"<em>  
><em>"Yeah, but… my dad, he… he won his gym battles without losing once." She looked up, hoping he wouldn't know who her father was. Looking into his eyes and seeing that recognition, her heart sank.<em>

* * *

><p>"I do!" she protested, surprising them all with the volume of her voice. "I do care for Pokémon and always will!"<br>"Then why hasn't Zekrom shown itself to you?" Ghetsis demanded, raising his own voice. "If you're truly meant to be the trainer of ideals, the 'other' hero… Are you sure you're the legendary trainer's daughter?"

"SHUT. UP!" White yelled, losing patience. "I am every bit of my father's daughter!" the older man snorted loudly, shaking his head.  
>"You are not. You're too weak."<p>

* * *

><p><em>"You know my father…"<em>  
><em>"I know of him. Yes, he's a legendary figure, but that shouldn't overshadow you. You're you, with your own reputation to build…." Cress shook his head and sighed. "I understand now why you've got a lack of confidence… but, trust me when I say that it will build on your journey. You intend to continue, right?" White considered this before nodding hesitantly.<em>

_"My mom doesn't want me to give up, neither does my dad… he wants to help me." Cress shook his head again. "What?"_  
><em>"I know how parents can be… trust me on this, as well. You're better off continuing on without any advantages." He offered her his hand and, after another bout of hesitation, she took it.<br>_

* * *

><p>"Ghetsis!" N said again, growing irritated. "White! I'm talking!"<br>"Are you sure that this… child is meant to be your opposing hero, N? Look at her!" Ghetsis retorted, gesturing towards White. "She's-"  
>"-going to disband you," White interrupted, lifting her chin. The thought of Cress and his help made her strong. Almost defiant in the eyes of danger.<p>

_Can't back down… WON'T back down this time. _In her mind's eye, she visualized Cress smiling approvingly at her. The thought made her smile- something that Ghetsis evidently didn't like.  
>"You? Ha! You couldn't-"<p>

"-But I was kidding myself," N continued after giving them both angry looks. "The idea of trainers getting to know each other through battle is ridiculous!"

* * *

><p><em>"See? You're improving!" she gaped at Cress as he clapped her on the back. Chili and Cilan smiled and repeated his gesture as Pignite danced around them, cheering. "Well done! I told you you could do it…" the badge was carefully placed into her shaking palm. He closed it with a smile, but not before squeezing it with his own.<em>  
><em>"I won?" she asked slowly, feeling a smile build up. "I… I actually won?"<em>  
><em>"You did," Cress confirmed with a smile. "You can win anything if you set your heart and mind to it, White."<em>

* * *

><p>"Reshiram! Come to me!" N called, raising his hands in the air. Ghetsis moved out of the way- but froze as a distinct light flashed across the room. "What?" N asked stupidly, staring at White. "Your dark stone is… I mean, Zekrom is…"<br>"Yep." She grinned as the dark stone began to shine and held it in the air for all to see. Ghetsis cussed loudly as the Pokémon of ideals appeared, roaring defiantly.

_You can win anything if you set your heart and mind to it… _It looked at her then, red eyes glittering in the light. _You're Red Satoshi's daughter. You can win this. _With renewed faith, she withdrew her Pokéballs.


	28. IcyCastleShipping

_-Noob's Play- (IcyCastleShipping)  
>Requested by: Darkkarara.<em>

"..or your sister will get more than pinches!" threatened Lavana with fire filled eyes. She gripped onto the little blond's arm tightly, causing tears to well up in her eyes. The room was silent as all eyes turned to Issac. He looked frantically towards his little sister, hands shaking as he stepped forward.

"Issac, no!" Keith groaned as the scientist began to babble.  
>"Okay, okay! I'll go…" Lavana smirked triumphantly as Issac all but ran to his sister, closely tailed by the massive man known as Heath.<p>

"Issac! Help!" Melody pleaded as the second-in-command unnecessarily dug her fingernails into her arm. "It hurts… OW! Stop!" she cried, trying to pry away her arm to no avail.  
>"I told you if you struggled… ah, perfect… Where do you think you're going? You little brat!" she screeched suddenly as the room suddenly exploded into shouting.<p>

"Kate!" Keith shouted, trying to grab a hold of his friend. She eluded his grasp and continued to run, eyes locked on the crying little girl.  
>"Kate! It's too dangerous!"<p>

"ARE YOU INSANE? KATE!" Heath slowly turned, eyes widening at the sight of the petite ranger racing towards him with a snarl on her face. With a barely concealed bellow he dove into the hole behind him, dragging Issac along with him.  
>"ISSAC!" Melody screamed, reaching for her brother.<p>

"Ice, DO SOMETHING!" Lavana screeched, trying to contain a near hysterical eight year old. The little girl's cry of pain only fueled Kate further. When she reached the pair, she jumped forwards- reaching for Melody's hand while knocking Lavana to the side with her shoulder.

"Keith! Take Melody!" Kate instructed, pushing the hostage towards her partner before curling into a ball. Keith didn't hesitate; he reached the staggering girl within seconds and pulled her back as Kate straightened from her roll- only to be grabbed from behind. A firm pair of hands grabbed her shoulder blades as the roar of the engine below grew louder.

"Love to stay and chat, but we have places to go…" A calm voice close to her ear said with a cold laugh before she was launched out of the building. She screamed as the ship -was it a ship? Who the hell cared?- became closer and desperately tried to loosen the grip on her shoulder blades.  
>"What are you doing?" the voice asked sharply, pulling her closer to him. "You noob! If I let go, you die!"<br>_Shit. He's right… _she surrendered then, shutting her eyes tightly as she collided with the deck.

* * *

><p>"…completely unnecessary! If she escapes, we're <em>screwed<em>, Ice!" a female voice protested, accented by the stamping of a foot.  
>"What if she calls for backup with her vicemail?" an accented voice added anxiously. "She is a powerful one, that Kate!" The sound of Ice's high pitched laughter filled the room- Kate could picture him doing his flashy pose in front of a huffing Lavana and a freaked out Heath. "Not funny!" Heath added angrily. "Lavana say, we screwed if she escape? I agree!"<p>

"I have her styler and her Pokémon. She isn't going anywhere in a hurry… right, Kate-noob?" she felt something touch her back and groaned at the sensation. "Does she look like a threat to you two? Because, to me, she looks like a Politoed in a pot."

"That made no sense…" Heath said slowly, "…but I agree. Yes, she is vulnerable." Frowning, she opened her eyes to see him extend a finger. The finger poked her in the forehead, seemingly amusing the mountain like man. Ice frowned and pushed his finger away, staring at Kate.

"Don't touch her, you'll give her whatever you have. Kincaid can deal with me later. She has a purpose." He said finally, looking at his team members.  
>"And that's… what? I see no use for a ranger brat," scoffed Lavana.<br>"I have no disease!" protested Heath, pulling his too-small jacket down. "I free man, Ice."  
>"But, Lavvie, you're blinded by the glare of your lip gloss. I'm surprised Heath hasn't seen it yet." Heath scrunched his face up, obviously in deep thought. Several moments passed before his face lit up again.<br>"Ha! She's bait!" he said triumphantly, laughing, dig forgotten. "Smart one, Ice!"

"We _had _bait… until she ruined it! Why do we need more?" argued their counterpart.  
>"Because I'm a ranger," Kate surprised them all by saying. "You're a dumbass, Lav." She huffed in response, irritated. "Why are you even employed here?"<br>"_Excuse me?_" Ice chuckled under his breath, shooting her a wink.

"Smart one, noob," he muttered, causing her to roll her eyes.  
>"Stupid princess," she muttered back as Lavana came into sight. Her hair was mussed, her knees were turning black and her lip was bleeding- she'd fallen hard, Kate concluded happily. <em>Dumb Milktank. Suck on that!<em>

"No, Lavana. I have this under control… I know what your form of bait involves. Too nasty and graphic," Ice concluded, dismissing them with a wave of his hand and a sharp look underneath his cool tone. Heath immediately bowed out of the room, but Lavana was harder to lose.

"She's useless! What, have you got something for her? A crush on the loser?" she asked, face turning white as Ice deliberately looked at Kate. There was an almost co-conspirator like look in his eyes as he inclined his head.  
><em>Play along? <em>Kate wondered, looking at the leader. _Eh… then overpower him and leave, _she decided with a wink. Ice smirked and ran his fingers across her lips, other hand resting on her leg.

"Wellll… maybe. You're too hot headed. Interested in war. I'm a pacifist," he claimed, moving his hand to rest on her cheek. _Yeah, right._ Lavana's eyes seemed to rocket out of her head as she watched the spectacle in front of her. "Not only that… she's chilling. Damn," he purred into her ear, settling his lips by her neck. "If you want to leave, you'll play along," he mumbled quietly. Kate's breath seemed to evaporate- at his words or his actions? "C'mon, Katie." he sounded almost impatient at her lack of reaction.

"Mm," she agreed, shooting Lavana a taunting look as she tilted her head back. Her expressions were getting more and more ludicrous- she seemed to almost be dying at the sight of Ice pretending to show an interest in someone else. Running her hands through his hair, she began watching through her eyelashes, smirking in spite of herself. This was oddly fun.  
>"You see, at the castle-"<p>

"-AGHH! I can't believe you!" Lavana's voice seemed to revibrate through the walls as she reached her limit. "You're… a jerk, Ice!" Kate waited for the sound of a slamming door before straightening. After removing her hands and pulling herself as far away from him as she could, she glared tauntingly at Ice.  
>"Well?"<br>"Well what?" he asked calmly, as if this happened all the time. _Probably did, _she found herself thinking. After what she'd just witnessed…

* * *

><p>"You know what… you hold up with your end of the bargain now. Let me go," Kate commanded, looking for the key. For her Pokémon. For anything but Ice's intense gaze. Ice frowned but complied, holding a key in front of her face.<br>"Eh. The end comes soon… it was worth it to see Lavana's reaction." He added a few explicit words before coming to a screeching halt just inches away from her face. The calculating expression she knew crossed his face and wild fervour lit up his eyes. "But.. I didn't get a complete reaction from _you_, did I?" she gulped as he nodded slyly, brushing the hair out of her eyes. "Didn't at the castle…"

"Hey, you did so at the castle. Forgotten already?" she protested, remembering their first meeting. "You… you noobette." He paused and shot her a surprised look- one that quickly turned sly.  
>"Noobette, huh…? Well… you were the original noob. So" -he kissed her lips and smirked at her hitch of breath –"there. And there's my reaction. Ha."<br>"You're the female variation," she counteredwith mock airiness, kissing him back fiercely. "So, nyah, biatch."

"Language, idiot," he said against her lips before kissing them again. "We'll continue this when I see you next…" he let her go, but not without a rougher kiss. "And come up with a better insult next time. You copied me… silly cosplayer." He shook his head and sighed. "Always unoriginal..."

"I'm definitely going to spray Noob is better than noobette in or outside this ship." she replied playfully, mock slapping him. He smirked and grabbed her again, sliding the stylus between her fingers.  
>"Definitely… you're only getting out because I felt like it..." he teased, "not because you overpowered me."<br>"I only played along because I like Lavana."  
>"…ouch. That was cold," he commented as her Pokémon surrounded her. "What- I was kidding about that!"<p>

* * *

><p>While she was on duty that night, Lavana found something that made her scream. When Heath found it, he stared blankly at it.<br>Ice only blew it a kiss and smirked.

"_Noob is better than Noobette.  
>Ice loves the amazing Kate. :P 5ever.<em>

_Kate is a n00b. True story."_ As Lavana screamed, she found that the a had been scratched out and replaced with 'my'.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"


	29. MangaQuestShipping

_-That Boy- (MangaQuestShipping)  
>Requested by: Luvena.<br>_

"…so, I said… Crys, are you even listening?" a delicate hand was waved in front of the frowning girl's face as Gold ran in front of them again. Green and Yellow shared amused glances as she waved- only to suddenly freeze. An alarmed expression crossed her face as she caught sight of what was in his hands- or, rather, what was dangling from his grip.  
>"Hey, Crys!" he greeted, smiling like an idiot. "Like my friend?"<p>

"Gold, _what are you doing_?" she thundered, getting to her feet. "That's…"  
>"Yeah, it's a krabby," he said with a shrug. "I caught it before- whoa, calm down, Crys! It's cool!" he added as she tried to pry it from his grip. He hid it behind his back, spinning as she continued to try and take it from him.<p>

"Gold, you have no idea how dangerous that is! Put it down!" she instructed, angry at herself for not seeing this earlier.  
><em>If he's hurt… <em>he gave her one of his mixed looks- frustration mingled with fondness- before trying to lighten the situation again. An ominous clicking noise went unheard as he reached for her hand.  
>"It's fine, <em>mom.<em> C'mon, lighten u- OW!" he let out a loud squeal and swung his hand forwards again to reveal an angry looking crab Pokémon, claw contracted around his middle finger. "Let go! LET GO!"

"Gold, stay still!"  
>"OWW! IT BURNS!"<br>"What the hell happened?"  
>"Hang on! I'ma comin'!" called Yellow, charging into the fray.<p>

* * *

><p>"Owww," Gold complained, staring at the still-swollen finger. Crystal sighed, shaking her head as Yellow handed her what appeared to be a miniature icepack. From the looks of it, she'd made it herself and had done a pretty good job- a very good job, Crystal appraised with a smile. Soft leaves encased the ice, which was sure to offer Gold enough comfort until the swelling went down. There would be bruising, no doubt about that, but that was nothing time couldn't fix. Plus, it was Gold. Nothing could keep him down for long.<br>_Not even Lugia could… so what chance does this have? _

"There ya go," Yellow said, offering them both smiles. "The krabby will be okay. It said it was sorry, but you scared it." Crystal gave Gold a pointed look before applying the pack.  
>"I told you so."<br>"Yeah, yeah…" Gold sighed, rolling his eyes. "At least kribby krabby will be okay."

"Yeah. You, on the other hand, could have lost your finger. Why were you holding it upside down, anyway? You shouldn't be so reckless," she scolded, placing her hand over his once she'd finished. "You're only a kid, Gold." Yellow slowly backed away, smile vanishing in the awkward situation.  
>"Damsel, art thou offering hidden affections?" Gold asked, tone becoming that of a medieval figure's. His face may have slackened for the effect to work, but his eyes continued to twinkle mischievously. "Thy eyes show thy story." Crystal blushed and swatted his arm, struggling to stay serious as he continued to speak.<br>"Gold…"

"Thy eyes art as blue as a… mid summer's sky. Wait, wait, that doesn't rhyme… " He frowned, trying to think of a suitable word. "Uh… thy eyes… art as blue as a… a… mid summer's noon. Yeah!"  
>"You're hopeless," she said with a barely concealed smile. "Borderline crazy…"<br>"Got me loookin', so crayzay, ma baybay," he sang with a grin on his face, voice escalating with each word. "Got me lookin' so fooooolish, I can't dooo thisss…"

"You are a horrible Beyoncé impersonator." She finally gave in, laughing until her sides began to hurt. He joined her while mock slapping himself- and falling from his crouching position onto her in the process. Instead of crying out or jumping up, the two looked at each other, faces alight in the sun. His soft hair curtained her knees, glossy in this light. His bare back was warm against her legs, his hand warmer against hers. A thousand heartbeats blossomed in the silence, each urging her to get closer to him.

"S-sorry," Gold apologized, breaking it with an awkward smile. "I-uh…"  
>"Ye-yeah," she replied distractedly, taking his hand in order to pull him up again. Another moment passed between them, one that resulted in him sitting upright. His hand cupped her cheek, their breaths quickened in the short space between them. Her skin tingled everywhere he touched, especially when he gave into desire.<p>

* * *

><p>Crystal sighed and tore her gaze away from Gold. Green had been in the middle of talking about… what? Was it Blue or shopping that she'd been talking about? Crap. She tried to remember as she straightened her bikini's blue spotted straps, only to come up blank.<p>

"That was an interesting noise," the brunette commented curiously. Crystal blushed and turned her head as it was imitated. It was breathy and girly- two things she usually wasn't. Yellow laughed, imitating it for herself before speaking again.

"So, keep going about Blue?" she requested, making a face as she propped herself up on one elbow. Her hair, let out of its usual ponytail, flew into her face and right into the sand. "Ewwww!" she complained, rolling back onto her back. From afar, Gold caught her gaze- how her eyes had landed back on him she didn't know- and smiled at her, reigniting the tingles that had surfaced during their kiss.

The kiss… she'd been kissed before, but had never gotten a response like that before. Especially from herself… Subconsciously, her hand rose to her lips, as did his. It was too far to tell, but he looked as though he was blushing. Blushing over _her_. Over that kiss…  
>"Yuck! It's all over me…" Yellow complained, breaking the trance. Crystal abruptly dropped her hand and looked away, catching Green's contemplative gaze.<p>

_Oh, no. _If there was anyone who could expose a secret, it was her. She'd been the one to reveal to the group that Red and Yellow had gotten together, been the one to first publish pictures of Ruby and Sapphire kissing in the park. She was the official gossip girl, someone who seemed to know everything about everyone. But had she figured something out about the recent kiss? She was certain that Gold wouldn't tell anyone about it…

"Ah, grow up. It's sand," scoffed Green, rolling her eyes and relieving Crystal's fears for an instant. "Buuut, anyway. So, I was walking in the sand"- she lowered her voice so that both girls had to lean in to hear her- "and what do you think I see? I'll tell you what I see. I saw… our own Crys making out with Gold!" Crystal flushed, eyebrows flying into her hair as Green laughed.  
><em>Crap! She did!<em> She stuttered for a few seconds, opening her mouth stupidly while Green began to smile.  
>"The-there- no," was the best she could manage and it was taken as confirmation.<p>

"You two are a couple?" Yellow exclaimed, looking at her interestedly. "YES! I won the bet! RED! I WON THE BET!" she yelled, jumping to her feet.  
>"WAIT! There's nothing like that- <em>nothing<em> romantic going on between us!" Crystal protested, jumping to her own feet and grabbing the giggling blond's wrist.  
>Sure… you know what?" Yellow asked, eyes dancing as she freed herself from the loose grip. "Ship, me! SHIP, SHIP, SHIP, me!" she sang, giggling as she ran towards her own boyfriend.<p>

"I swear it! Yell- ah, damnit," Crystal groaned as Red joined in singing. "Green, you're… how did you...?" She glared at the traitorous friend, who only widened her eyes innocently before returning to her magazine.  
>"It was written all over your face. And his," she clarified as Gold's loud exclamation filled the air.<br>"WHAAAT?"


	30. IsshuShipping

_-Role Reversal- (IsshuShipping)_  
><em>Requested by: AnnaLucilleLuli<em>.

"You came. I'd hoped you would…" the quiet voice tumbles over itself as those deep brown eyes look into his. Looking into those eyes, all he can see is that perfect shade of gray. He's never seen such a blend in any human's eyes- not in his father's, nor any of the grunts. Not in Cheren's, that was for certain.

* * *

><p>The bespectacled boy loathes him and isn't hesitant of showing it. His world is strictly whitened as a result of his ongoing pursuit of 'true' strength. Everlasting strength, he thinks in disgust, spitting on the carpet. While he cares for his Pokémon, Cheren has always been more interested in boosting their levels. He puts this almost pathetic perception of truth above everything, even his friends.<br>_Especially_ his friends.

That irritates N, but he keeps it inside for Black's sake. Black looks surprised at his sudden outburst but seemingly shrugs it off as what he calls a 'mood swing'.  
>He trusts him enough to believe that to be a good thing. Black wouldn't say that to hurt him, would he? Especially how he thinks it's 'cute'.<p>

_Cute._ That word makes him think of Bianca, Black's other rival and friend. The green eyed girl flounders around like a Magikarp, racing precariously into trouble and thinking little of it. She takes losses harder than her friends but is quicker to bounce back, quicker to get into more trouble. She seeks the ideal world through veiled eyes. Through a veiled conscience, N is prepared to say. She firmly follows what she believes to be 'right' morally and ethically.  
>black minded, black souled. Pure and innocent… so she makes everyone believe.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hm?" he's pulled back into the world by a tugging Black. He feels his mouth quirk into a smile as Black hesitantly holds up a skateboard. <em>His own skateboard.<em> It had been a gift from his mother before her untimely departure. "Do you skate, Black?" Black nods eagerly and asks if he could possibly use it. N grants this- how could he say no to such a sweet smile? How could anyone?

Black's mother is another person blinded by ideals. The woman adores her son, that's true… but she let him leave home as a child. Without any protection or guidance. Just a kiss on the forehead and a promise to clean his room, Black says with a shrug. It doesn't bother him, but by Arceus it bothers N. What would happen if Black failed to become Pokémon champion? Would his mother still love him? Would she begin to encourage him instead of wondering about his friends and father? He's never met the woman and doesn't want to. Her seeming lack of care has hurt his love more than anything in the world.

"Very nice," N approves with a laugh as Black skids to a stop. Slowly, he begins to clap. Begins to shower the boy in the approval he himself had never gotten. Sure, his subjects showed their support whenever he so much as declared an idea, but the smiles never reached their eyes. They'd bite their lips or look around the room whenever they claimed to love his ideas. Maybe that's what brought the two boys together. They both grew up older than their ages, older than any of their closest friends.

They were the only ones with the same ideals, N thinks sadly as Black asks about the room. He's curious- why is this specifically _his_ room? Where are the tools needed for studying? He wonders aloud if there's time for such talk, wonders this in a way that saddens his 'boyfriend' further.  
>"Of course there is," N assures him with a small smile. "Not long, but we do have time." The brown eyes become skeptical as he assesses the door behind them, commenting on the lack of security. That has N concerned, too… Ghetsis was very specific upon rules as he grew up.<p>

* * *

><p>Humans weren't permitted to ever enter this room apart from Ghetsis and N. He would bring in and consequently take away everything N desired- his Pokémon friends, more books, more toys and more food. All he had to do was wait until a certain time- that had been a hard lesson to learn once upon a time, but one he'd had to learn in order to become king. His friends were allowed in at any time of day, provided that Ghetsis was in the castle. Ghetsis accompanied him everywhere as a mentor and parent. His word was law… Right?<p>

That idea had begun to decrease with each interaction the king had with other humans. Some Pokémon adored their human trainers, which surprised him. They all abided by some form of universal code that he'd quizzed Black about. Black had patiently explained his concept of these rules, which had involved punishments like imprisonment and trial. They sounded unbearable, but so did the things one had to achieve to get to that state. Stealing someone's Pokémon, hurting them… yes, he'd keep those rules when the time came. Ghetsis was sure to be displeased, but he'd give way, wouldn't he? He'd always given N what he wanted.  
>He'd done everything that N had asked… except for keeping the one he cared about safe.<p>

He wasn't sure what had taken place but whatever had happened had shaken the poor boy. N had found him crying shortly after awakening Zekrom. He'd been unable to speak but had clearly wanted to say something of great importance. Soothing words had calmed him down after an initial display of emotion… but Black was still greatly upset by whatever had happened.  
><em>He also refused to say whatever had been so important. Why?<em>  
>"I'll protect you," N had promised, taking the boy's hands. "This won't happen again… I'll slay whoever has done this to you, Black. Rest easy knowing that."<p>

* * *

><p>Back in the present day, Black is speaking. There's sadness in his voice, even more pronounced in his eyes. For the second time in his life, N finds himself unsure of humans and their emotions.<p>

Something deep inside of him wants him to take more advantage of this time; to use it as if it would be his last. Why? There would be plenty of time after the battle… they can negotiate that as well. N knows that the dragons are sure to listen to the two heroes of legend, the two who have gray hearts. By now, Black is sure to have awoken Reshiram- it must be already awaiting their arrival.

Why is there a need for more violence when they can talk? N doesn't need to defeat Black to get his point across… not anymore. Black goes silent as N expresses this, gesturing imploringly with his hands to get the point across. Black hesitates but then utters something that the king finds preposterous. Treasonous, even.  
>"Ghetsis is going to overthrow us, no matter what happens. N…"<p>

"Lies. Ghetsis will abide by my rules…" N's tone falters but he refuses to acknowledge this idea. He holds his chin high and stares at Black, who has grown determined.  
>"No, N. He's lied to you… I'm trying to protect you from what's about to happen!" he protests angrily, placing his hands on his chest. "Ghetsis has been-"<br>"-nothing but a good mentor and parent. I refuse to talk more about this," N says with cool finality, dismissing his claims. "If anything, your loved ones are the ones you should be protected from…" he adds, placing his hands on top of the cold ones sitting on his chest. "They are the ones who have hurt you."

"What are you saying? My friends and family would never hurt me!" despite this, N sees the doubt in his eyes. Sees the refusal take ahold as he himself dismisses the ideas now circulating his head.

Is that what Black sees? Does he see such a sad sight?  
>Is he, N, king of Team Plasma and savior of the world wrong…?<p>

* * *

><p>No. They're just frantic over what's set to happen, that's all. There's an awkward silence, broken by:<br>"I'm sorry." Black apologizes first, voice muffled as he embraces N. "I'm-"  
>"- I know. I'm sorry, too… that was stupid."<br>"It was…" they smile tentatively at each other before breaking apart. "We better go. Do you think that Ghetsis will still listen to reason?" the doubt remains, but N forces himself to look over it.  
>"Of course he will… now, let's go."<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>A different perspective leading into the final showdown. The Pokémon games' heroesheroines are always portrayed to be fearless, adored people who strike without hesitation (and are painstakingly canonless) while having that sense of déjà vu. You as players know that there will be the final showdown where the antagonists end up losing or becoming good… especially in Gen V. Needless to say, it was fun to add the characteristics. ^_^**_


	31. LagamorphShipping

_-Ketchup Induced Love- (LagamorphShipping)  
>Requested by:<em> bake-ed and Mew Mew Pachirisu.<em>_

The two Pokémon sat by the edge of a pond, legs kicking as they stared at each other. Buneary squealed and giggled each time Pikachu's legs launched water high into the air, even going as far as holding an imaginary sign into the air. He smiled and laughed with her, occasionally kicking water at her to make her smile. Today was a sad day, he knew that too well. Ash had certainly shed a few tears once he found out that Dawn couldn't accompany them on their next adventure... but had decided to do something nice for her.  
>Buneary was completely oblivious so far because nobody had the heart to tell her.<br>Especially the Pikachu who would soon have to break her little heart into pieces.

She'd once annoyed him and frightened him with her advances, with her loud proclamations of love. She wanted to be his life partner, to one day mother his young, she'd coo while chasing him around. She laughed and giggled every time he ran away, seeing it as some sort of game that she had to win. In all honesty, he never saw himself as a father, let alone a life partner. He and Ash would settle down one day, he told himself dismissively. In, like, twenty years. Until then, he had a lot of traveling and training to do.  
>And that had suited the two boys just fine… or it used to.<p>

* * *

><p>You see, Ash had fallen in love with Dawn, which exasperated the electric mouse. Of course he felt happy for his trainer and his blue haired sweetheart, but it had only made Buneary's affections worse. After hearing that Ash and Dawn were a couple she'd begun to believe that she had more of a chance with the so far loveless partner of her partner.<p>

Ehhh. That made him squirm in spite of himself. One day he'd woken up to find Buneary snuggled next to him, heart shaped eyes filled with love as she watched him sleep. He'd screamed and, after avoiding kisses, ran straight to Ash. Both Ash and Dawn had been understandingly embarrassed by this but had simply told him to 'hang in there'.  
>"She's determined," Dawn had added with a laugh. "She really adores you, Pikachu."<p>

And so she did. Even now she watched him with big eyes while squeezing the life out of him. She loved him and he couldn't return that love. His love was training; his future family consisted of Ash's children.  
>WAIT. He froze and groaned as a realization hit him- one that Buneary had obviously known about for months. She paused and nuzzled his head, concerned as it slumped.<br>If Ash and Dawn were to get married… he'd be living with Buneary 24/7.

"Bun. Bun?" she asked, alarmed. She began to shake his shoulders, voice rising as she got no response whatsoever. "BUN!"  
>"PIKA!" he yelled as water suddenly fell onto his his head. He sat upright angrily, mouth open as the last of his patience disappeared- only to have a small object thrust in front of his face.<p>

"Buneary?" she asked timidly, holding it at a different angle. His anger disappeared as quickly as it came, replaced by complete happiness. "Eary?" she asked again, ears high in the air. The sound of her foot thumping revibrated on the fountain as she awaited a response to the gift she'd gotten him. She got it in the form of a loud, happy squeal after five seconds of stunned silence.

* * *

><p>"PikaCHU!" he enthused, hugging her tightly and taking the bottle from her. "Pika, pi, pi!" the ketchup bottle was twirled around, cuddled and even kissed while he squealed in delight. Oh, how he loved Kantonean ketchup! Nothing compared to that salty taste. Not even- not even a Buneary who just…<p>

"Bun!" she cheered loudly, breaking apart to dance around the ledge. "Buneary! Reary!" Pikachu stared at her, nearly dropping the old ketchup bottle in his surprise. She caught him staring and reverted back to her old days, hiding her face with her ears and giggling nervously.

She'd given him his favorite thing… how long had she been looking for that ketchup bottle? More importantly, _how _had she gotten it all the way from Kanto? He thought that Misty and Ash had thrown it out and had lived with that. But, here it sat, in his paws. There was a bandage covering the damage that the poor thing had taken and it was filled to the brim with Kantonean ketchup. One of the many things he'd missed about his home.

Wait… She nosed him! His mouth fell open as he stared at his surprising reflection. He was… pink? Pink cheeked? From _Buneary? _  
>He wasn't grossed out or horrified. Instead, he felt and looked… happy. His ears were high in the air, his eyes were sparkling. He looked like he'd won a battle. He felt just as happy as the first time he'd won a badge. All thanks to the giggling bundle to his right.<br>But, there was one thing he had to know before he could show this new elation.

"Pi?" he asked, setting the bottle down. She lifted one ear and glanced tenderly at him, grin sweet and gentle.  
>"Buneary," she replied, startling him. It had been a goodbye promise present? She knew about them leaving and was fine with it? He couldn't believe that… or, well, anything that had happened in the last five minutes. "Near?" she added suddenly, voice shy. The other ear flew up, exposing a very heavily blushing Buneary. Even the cottony tops of her ears looked pink.<br>"Pikachu," he said, surprising her. No, he didn't hate her, or the gift… he just needed to sit down.

* * *

><p>"There you two are!" Dawn exited the diner that she and Ash had previously been in, a huge smile on her unusually blotchy face. Like Pikachu, her eyes were sparkling… she was very happy, he deduced. Buneary giggled and jumped into her arms, loudly telling her about what she'd done. Dawn merely glanced at Pikachu and exploded into her own giggles, cuddling her Pokémon close as a grinning Ash wrapped an arm around her waist.<br>"Women," he mouthed with an exaggerated wink.

Women indeed, Pikachu agreed, thoughts clicking as he returned to his ketchup bottle. It was obvious to him now what Ash had meant- he'd given Dawn a promise item and said he'd come back for her, making her very happy instead of sad. Why else would she have a sparkling new neck chain around her neck? And, he realized, in return, Buneary had given _him _a promise item to seal the deal. Which now meant he'd have to get her something… Unless she'd gotten it out of the nose kiss. Judging from how pink she still was, she had.  
>Maybe having Buneary as a life mate wouldn't be so bad… she gave him a fuzzy feeling <em>and <em>gave him free ketchup.

He'd be making a return trip to Sinnoh.


	32. HyperShipping

_-Battle of the Blonds- (HyperShipping)  
>Requested by: gogol.<em>

_**The start is a continuation from the end. Something as reverse as Barry and Bianca. ;}**_

* * *

><p>"<em>Yeah? Well… well, you're a meanie!" she yelled, pointing at him accusingly. He glared back at her, arms folding as she ripped her hat from her head. "I… I challenge you to a…"<br>"…wait! Who are you calling a freaking meanie? You ran into __**me!**__" he interrupted angrily, eyes flashing. "I oughta fine you, you crazy lady! Who the hell doesn't look both ways?"  
>"I said I was sorry!"<br>"A likely story. I didn't hear that…" his voice faltered as her lip began to tremble. Within seconds, it was as if she was at a funeral. "Okay, maybe I did. Sorry," he muttered as she cried to her hat. The anger drained from him faster than lightning as he watched her._

_I made a girl cry… ah, crap. Dawn's gonna have my ass on a plate, he thought with a sigh, awkwardly raising his hands. Suddenly, he was extremely unsure of what to do next- should he pat her on the back or shake her hand? What was it that Dawn liked when she cried? _

_Hugs, he remembered with a wince. Ah, he hated being hugged by crying girls. They took their time calming down- time that he could be spending training his team. Not to mention the germs he was sure to get from their tears. He didn't want to start a rumor or anything, but Dawn had had to have given him that cold from her crying. He nearly got hypothermia from that freaking chick!  
>Never mind that it had been three years ago. When did dates matter?<em>

"_I'm a failure. I suck," the girl wailed, voice muffled by the green beret that she wore.  
>"You don't suck," he replied warily, hesitantly patting her on the back.<br>There was a loud gagging sound to be heard as the blond girl suddenly attacked him with her arms, staining his nice jacket with her soggy tears.  
>"Hey! Ulp..." he gulped as she pressed her face into his chest. "Oh, great."<br>_

* * *

><p>He'd entered the region with his head held high. A confident, almost cocky smile lit up his face- but of course, he would <em>never<em> call himself cocky. In his fifteen years of life, Barry Jun had never once been a cocky man. He was just a freaking badass trainer.  
>In his own mind, at least.<p>

Unfortunately, his bad ass ideals didn't survive the first hour after getting off of the ship. This place was a freaking jungle. All around him he saw unfamiliar Pokémon, tall trees and even a vine swinging girl.  
>What was this, <em>Tarzan<em>?  
>"Wait. I have a map!" he told no one in particular, rummaging through his pockets. "That'll get me out of this hell hole for" –he suddenly swore as the search produced nothing but a note- "PAUL, I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS TO FREAKING KANTO!"<p>

"If you find this on the ship, congratulations. You're not a complete dumbass after all. If you're just finding this now, you're an idiot who shouldn't have left his map on his computer.  
>BTW, nice collection on that. Might have borrowed some of it..."<p>

"I'll give you a complete dumbass," ranted Barry, ripping his cell phone out of his pocket and hitting redial. "Freaking bed intruding… hey, MOFO!" he screeched as someone picked up. "Why did you steal my map? I'm gonna fine you soooo bad... and how dare you go through my computer! THAT WAS A PRIVATE COLLECTION!"  
>"Uh…" sweat dripped down his face as a familiar voice entered the so far one sided conversation.<br>_Crap crap crap crap MAGIKARP CRAP!  
><em>"Hi, mom," he said sheepishly, cursing his own stupid luck. "Can I call you back?"

* * *

><p><em>No map and a freaked out mom. Yeah, good one, Barry, <em>he thought sourly, marching through the forest. _She probably thinks you look at dirty stuff now. What's so bad about a stamp collect- ow!  
><em>"Oops! I'm so sorry!" a loud voice exclaimed as he nearly fell on his ass. "I'm so sorry-"  
>"-FINED!" he barked, immediately jumping to face the intruder. He intended to add more, intended to give the intruder a piece of his mind until their eyes met.<p>

The intruder wasn't a guy; she was far from that. She appeared to be both his own age and his own height, which surprised him. Her short blond hair curled around her face, framing a small mouth and pretty green eyes. Her face was porcelain white, not at all tainted by the make up some girls wore.  
>Yeah, she was a pretty girl, he decided after lowering his fist. Very pretty indeed. Maybe he should ask her-<br>"-um… STALKER!" she yelped, stepping away from him and nearly tumbling over herself. "G-get away!" his mouth dropped open as she continued to back away, fingers crossed in front of her chest. "I don't like candy!"

"…what the he-"  
>"-you heard me!" her eyes were suddenly determined as she paused, hands flying onto her hips. "You're a dirty perv!" his eyes popped out of his head as he heard her misconception. Before it could register, his mouth flew into first gear.<br>"What the hell, lady? I don't even know you!" he exclaimed angrily, straightening his scarf before stepping towards her. "How am I a pervert? DO I LOOK LIKE I OWN A TRUCK OR SOMETHING? JEEZ!"  
>"Exactly! And you never will! I'm not a 'fine' woman with a torch!" she fired back, clutching her bag close to her chest. Both came to a screeching halt as Bianca realized her own mistake. An awkward silence filled the air as the teens' hands fell to their sides again.<p>

"Uh…how does that even make sense?" he asked, suddenly confused. She frowned and shook her head after a minute, obviously just as confused as he was.  
>"I don't know... I'm not a statue, right?" she asked, looking down at her orange top. "Statues aren't orange."<br>"They can be in Sinnoh," he offered, tearing his eyes away from that area as she looked at him again.  
>"…okay." She accepted this with a tilt of her head and a small, hesitant smile. "I'm Bianca. Bianca Bel."<br>_Bianca. _He'd heard that name before somewhere, hadn't he? But where had he heard it from?

"I'm Barry." He extended his hand and awkwardly took hers, shaking it while looking into her still confused eyes. "Nice to, uh, meet you." Maybe she was his cousin or something?  
>"Yeah…" her voice grew quiet as their hands continued to shake. "Um…" no, he decided suddenly, he couldn't be a cousin of his. Her voice was strangely accented and fast paced, finishing sentences within a second of whatever had been previously said. His own voice was slower, easier.<br>"Wait! Do you know Ash?" he asked quickly, startling them both.  
>"Ash?" she asked, tilting her head again. He nodded eagerly, suddenly aware of where he'd heard of this girl. She was, apparently, a rival of Ash's.<p>

Therefore, a rival of his because his old rivals were no longer here. YES. It took a lot of willpower to not fist pump over this amazing new information, but he managed it.  
>Why wouldn't he? He was Barry freaking Jun. The badass blond who put Volkner to shame.<br>_I should write a book or something. Comic strip, maybe? …Nah. Too mediocre._

* * *

><p>"Yeah… he's strong," she replied, ceasing his prematurely good mood. "His Pikachu could beat my-"<br>"-are you kidding me? He's still here? Aw, _man_! I just got here!" he complained ripping his hand out of hers and kicking a stone into a patch of grass. A strange patch of pink showed as it flew through, followed by a squeal. "And what is that?" he demanded to know as the pink patch revealed itself to be some kind of Pokémon. It looked like a boring girly Pokémon, with wide blue eyes and an innocent smile plastered to its face despite having a stone kicked into its habitat.  
>"Audino," it chirped, waving its paws. Barry shrank back as Bianca let out a cry of delight.<p>

"OHMYARCEUSIT'SSOCUTE!" she gushed, flying forward to squeeze the little thing. It returned her hug after another squeal, happily nuzzling its small face into her hair. For some reason, that ticked Barry off further.  
>"It's gross," he argued, staring contemptuously at the 'Audino'. "Why was it hiding in the bushes, anyway?" Bianca turned to face him, previous smile vanished as she protectively hugged it closer to her chest.<br>"Because she's an Audino. They live in bushes… how is this NOT cute? Look at those big eyes… I gotta catch it!" she suddenly declared, looking trustingly at it while fishing a Pokéball out of her pocket.

Audino began to squirm as the Pokéball flew forward, nearly hitting it in the face. "Pokéball, g-ow!" she whined as the Audino managed to free itself from her grip. It fell to the ground and scurried away on two legs without a further farewell, Bianca in hot pursuit. "Come back!" she pleaded loudly, slipping on the grass in her haste. "Wait! Awwww… it got away," she whimpered, beating the ground before getting to her feet.  
>"Oh well. It was ugly anyways," Barry replied dismissively, waving his hand. "So, where's the nearest Pokémon center?" she shot him a nasty look, face turning red as she marched over to him.<p>

"It is NOT ugly or gross! It's cute and that's that!" she retorted, stomping her foot. "Why are you laughing at me?" she added as he began to chortle. "It's not funny, Barney!" that stopped his laughter in a heartbeat.  
>"My name is Barry!"<p> 


	33. AdvanceShipping

_-Friend Zone- (AdvanceShipping)  
>Requested by: <em>_reddolphins5000__._

_**Slight Songfic for Friend Zone by Your Favorite Martian. For all my reviewers who are stuck in the friend zone. Listen to the song while reading this to get a feel.**_

_**Also, thanks to Luthor for confirming the shipping names for Chili x Burgundy and Trip x Georgia!**_

* * *

><p>The two teens walk side by side, laughing at something the girl had said. While the pretty girl in the red bandana talks about shopping, recipes and watched the leaves swirling around them, the boy watches <em>her<em> in an almost adoring way. Every now and again she squeezes his hand and smiles broadly at him, which makes his heart race and his lips go dry. She's always on his mind, the subconscious fantasy that turned into a reality.

_I like this girl so much  
>She's always on my mind<br>We have an awesome time_

It's no secret that Ash Ketchum has a thing for May Haruka, hasn't been for a long time. It's often joked that he would do _anything _for the coordinator- but while he blushes and complains about this, it's the truth. He tries to cook noodles for her, helps her create recipes and gossips with her while watching those girly shows that she seems to adore.

"Thank you for walking me home…" she says finally with a sigh, coming to a halt. Gratitude is written on her face as she takes his hand again, squeezing it before giving him a huge hug. Ash smiles and returns the hug, heart racing as the world seems to stop. His fingers trail down her spine, her head rests on his shoulder. He swears that he can hear her sigh and his smile grows with his hopes.  
>Maybe today will be the day. He really hopes so… could she have changed her mind overnight?<p>

_We never crossed the line_

As she pulls out of his arms and looks up at him, he prays that she doesn't say those five words that instantly get him in a bad mood. Those five words that make him want to cry in pure frustration… the words that an oblivious May utters every time they part.  
><strong><em>"You're an amazing friend, Ash."<em>**

* * *

><p><em>She don't wanna mess-up the friendship<br>"Friendsies"  
>I'm in a frenzy, 'cause my bedroom's empty<em>

_And I'm gently attempting to win her over  
>By being as good as friend as I can be<br>She's tempting but riddled with doubt…_

He knows how she sees him… he's the best friend. Her top 'friendsie', she says with a giggle. As tough as May can be, she has a very tender side to her- one that Ash loves. It allows him to get close to her, to lock hands with her when she cries. Yeah, he's not a fan of the movies, gossiping or shopping… but it's worth it to have those hours with her. The guys she dates aren't like this; he's an exception.

… _I got the blues 'cause we're not knockin' the boots  
>We're talkin' gossip news and shoppin' for shoes<br>I hate when you make me watch Sex and The City until the day ends  
>I'm not your gay friend!<em>

Sometimes, she falls asleep and ends up on his shoulder. He patiently sits there, stroking her hair and staring at her until she wakes up again. The slightest movement wakes her up, as he knows too well. He'd love to kiss her, but he doesn't want to rush things. He worries that she'll immediately reject him or say that they can't be friends anymore… plus, what would a good excuse be for that? For waking up to see your best friend's face very close to yours, to feel their lips on yours?  
>Especially when you didn't know they liked you?<p>

_But I'll do it, just to get next to you.  
>Just to prove I can best the rest the dudes<br>I'm obsessed with you. I pester you.  
>'Cause when we ain't together, I'm probably texting you…<em>

* * *

><p>Today, he's succeeded in cheering in her up over <em>him<em>. Her on again, off again boyfriend who is a complete douche to her. The thought of Drew makes him scowl and feel angry… what is it that May sees in him and not Ash? Ash spends all night texting her, knows her better than anyone else.  
>And he actually <em>likes <em>her… unlike Drew, who only cares about being a strong trainer.

_...I know you don't notice, but there's no excuse  
>To date that other dude, he's a total douche!<br>He's got a few broken screws; I'm so confused_

"Ash…?" she asks, placing a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?"  
>Crap. She's seen the expression on his face, caught the sudden change in emotion.<br>"Nothing," he says hastily, forcing a smile at her. "It's just… you know. I hate this part." A blush mantles his cheeks as he realizes what he's admitted to. "I mean- you know." A shrug's added as he turns his head. "I hate seeing you upset."

_That Imma have to show the dude_  
><em>That you deserve better, and you know you do…<em>

"Drew." she clarifies with a sigh. "Yeah, I know he's a douche…"  
>"Then why are you dating him?" Ash demands, turning his head so fast that he cricks his neck. With a wince, he places a hand to it and continues with, "You're too good for him, May."<em><br>_  
><em>…Ya<br>She doesn't know the half  
>In my wallet I keep her photograph<em>

"Yeah, I know, okay?" she asks angrily, making a face at him. "You've told me this _how _many times?"  
>"Well, sorry for caring about you!" he retorts, pushed by his dislike of Drew. He can see him smirking in his mind's eye and it is really ticking him off. Her eyes narrow sharply into slits; her hands fly to her hips. As cute as she looks when she's fired up, Ash isn't paying attention. He's not happy at all by what's taking place- they're arguing over an idiot. The idiot who's dating the girl he likes.<p>

_I've made my decision  
>For you, Baby girl, I'd change religions<em>

"Difference between caring and being an ass about it," she claims, poking him in the chest. "As you should know…"  
>"Yeah, there is!" he fires back, blurting out what he hasn't had the guts to say: "Me and Drew."<br>"What?" the anger dies suddenly as she realizes what she's missed. Suddenly, Ash is afraid to look at her. An awkward silence fills between them as he internally craps himself.  
>Oh, damn.<p>

* * *

><p>'<em>Cause in your eyes I see heaven<em>

"…You like me?" she asks after a long time, finally peeking at him through her hair. He nods sheepishly, partially relieved to get this out in the open. "Why?"  
>"Why wouldn't I?" he questions, raising his arms. "Look at you. You're… you."<br>_Excellent description, Ash, _he thinks as sweat drips down his face. At least she knows now…

_Girl, I think about you 24/7_

"I think about you all the time. And… you're cute. You're nice. Funny…" his voice trails off lamely as he continues to stare away from her. "And… I just… I like you." There's another silence before he feels two hands touch his face. He feels a rush at her touch… but an even bigger rush at her facial expression.  
>No way... he's dreaming this. He has to be. May Haruka is <em>not <em>starry eyed over him!

_Before this story ends  
>I wanna know can we be more than friends?<em>

"That was sweet… wow. I'm sorry" –he cuts her off by putting a hand over her mouth and shakes his head with a smile-  
>"No, I'm sorry." They laugh and as soon as the hand is removed, May hugs him again. This time, the hug is the long one that Ash desires.<p> 


	34. EgoShipping

_-Age and Youth- (EgoShipping)  
>Requested by: mayndrewfan123 and PHOEBEZLAMENSTUPIDAZBRAH.<br>_

"…So, how long have you two been married for?" the reporter asked after setting the voice recorder down. "Twenty years? Thirty?" the elderly couple exchanged a glance before answering. The woman rolled her eyes at the snotty voiced woman, her husband glanced at the roof, as if asking for patience. As amusing as it would have been to see his wife chase the woman out of the house with her mallet, he couldn't allow it to happen.  
><em>Granny could break a hip; <em>he chuckled, earning himself two confused looks.

"Thirty-nine years," he clarified, lowering his gaze. The reporter made a noise in her throat and leaned forward, false awe written across her heavily made up face.  
>"That's a very long time. You were only twenty when you were married, correct?"<p>

"If you knew that, why did you bother asking how long we've been married for?" Misty interrupted, looking irritated. The reporter frowned at her question but answered as politely as she could.  
>"Well, because the audience at home would want the facts, Mrs. Oak." Misty snorted and rolled her eyes again, tapping her foot on the tiles. "Can I continue with the interview?"<p>

"Go right ahead," she replied sourly, crossing her arms over her lacy blouse. "Don't let me stop you."  
>"Sorry, she missed her nap," Gary added, shooting his wife an amused glance. "Didn't you, toots?"<br>"I'll give you _toots _in a second," she muttered, face relaxing in spite of herself. "Yeah, go on."

"…riiight. So, you were both twenty when you were married?" Misty nodded and repositioned herself on the sofa, locking hands with Gary. "Can you say it verbally for the people at home?" the reporter stressed, earning herself another glare.  
>"Yeah. We were both twenty. It was a nice little wedding," Misty sighed, anger forgotten as she remembered the day. "All of our friends and family were there."<p>

"And you cried buckets," Gary remembered, a soft smile crossing his face. "Just like Ash. Speaking of which, hey Ashy boy. We miss you." Both sighed at that. Misty squeezed Gary's wrinkled hand, offering comfort to the best friend that had been left behind some thirty years ago.  
>"Yes, Ash's death was a tragedy," the reporter said sadly, bowing her head in respect. "How did you find out? If I may ask," she added hastily. "I don't mean to intrude…" it was true. The three had agreed to talk about the young couple falling in love, not the tragic death that occurred shortly after their wedding.<p>

"My gramps. He called us… we didn't believe him until the funeral. Didn't want to…" he sighed and bowed his head, shaking it all the while. "It was a freak accident, we all know that now."  
>"He'd be proud of you for taking over the lab." Misty spoke softly, eyes filling with tears at the grief on her husband's face. "Pikachu would have been, too."<br>"I miss that little runt."  
>"So do I…" there was another collective sigh as Gary composed himself.<p>

* * *

><p>"You named your son after him?" The reporter asked gently, fake pretenses aside now. Her own eyes were filled with sorrow and sympathy.<br>"Yes." It was Misty that spoke, mopping her own eyes with her handkerchief. "We'd all agreed on it years beforehand."  
>"It was just playing around… but, being the man I am, I did it." Gary spoke with false bravado, eyes on the faded photograph on the wall behind the reporter.<p>

"Because you're Gary freaking Oak."  
>"Damn straight. Would've done it even if Ash had been a girl… you know, he was for the first-"<br>"-shut up." Misty elbowed him, smiling slightly at his returning humor. "He wasn't a girl during his journey. That was me." He smiled as well, brown eyes showing the cockiness that she'd once fallen for.

"How could I forget? Oh ewwww, bug Pokémon!" the reporter looked between the two, decidedly giving up on the interview for now. It was the least the twenty-five year old could do.  
>"Shut up. Bug Pokémon are disgusting." Misty shuddered and elbowed him again, face turning green as Gary laughed.<br>"So are carrots, but I married one."

"You can't say that anymore! I'm gray. So, ha. And I have all my teeth," she added as an afterthought, opening her mouth to reveal the still-pearly molars. He made a face and gave her a once familiar look- one that had annoyed Ash and sent his cheerleaders crazy.  
>"I'm Gary Oak. Your opinion is invalid," he claimed haughtily. "So, ha on that, woman."<p>

"I love you, you old idiot," she said affectionately after the two had laughed. He kissed her head and smiled, returning to his now natural attitude. He was calmer now, and a lot more mature. Out of their three children, it had been their daughter who had inherited that Oak-cockiness; but she'd quickly grown out of it.

…well, she'd had to. She and her brothers had also inherited their mother's temperament. It had been an interesting twenty years in the Oak household.  
>"I love you too. Now," he addressed the reporter, "would you like to hear anything else?"<p> 


	35. RangerShipping

_ -Free Time- (RangerShipping)  
>Requested by: Shiny Kirby.<em>

"I'm bored…" Murph sighed, staring up at the roof. Beside him, Lunick grunted an agreement.  
>"Yeah. There's nothing to do now… no one needs our help. I'm out of a job," he complained, reaching for the barely used styler that he still carried around with him. "Nowadays it's just 'help this old lady find her Meowth' or 'this Pokémon got stuck, please help it'."<p>

"Never thought I'd hear ya complain about that…" Murph remarked, playing with his beard. Lunick sat upright and began to stare at the styler, a sigh emitting out of his own lips as he noticed a small particle of dust sitting on the point.  
>"Yeah, neither did I." he gently blew on it and, once the particle was gone, began to clean the entire stylus with the sleeve of his jacket. "Guess things change."<p>

"You know, it could be a lot worse. Would you prefer Fiore to be falling apart?" Solana asked without looking up from the book she was reading. Lunick glanced up at her and felt a pang of shame as she, as usual, spoke nothing but the truth. "You're being a bit immature…"

"Fun police. Whee, woo, whee, woo." Murph span his own styler around as he spoke, losing his grip of it within seconds. With a groan he sat up and ran towards it, cheeks flaming as he made another error. Plusle and Minun raced towards the styler, narrowly reaching it before the chubby ranger did. After another groan he proceeded to chase them for it, eventually imploring them to give it back.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, you're right," Lunick conceded after chuckling at the sight of Murph begging the cheering partners to hand back his stylus. "But a little action wouldn't hurt every now and then…"<br>"True," she agreed after letting herself giggle alongside him. "Murph does try to provide entertainment, but there's nothing too fun about his quests."  
>"Hey, you didn't have to look for his rusty old nail clippers."<br>"Ewww…" she raised her gaze to meet his and shuddered. "Did you have to say that when I was reading?"

"Maybe, maybe not… what are you reading, anyway? You're always reading now." He scooted over to where she sat, quickly sliding his stylus back into its usual position as he sat.  
>"It's a pretty old book. Professor Hastings visited that new region recently and brought it back with him," she explained, closing the book to reveal a musty looking brown cover. A strange set of patterns served as the cover, ones that appeared to be in different shapes. "And since that new region was discovered, you never know. Maybe we'll be able to go there and help…" there was a hopeful tone in her voice, one that showed her true feelings to the lack of activity as of late. "Wouldn't that be cool?"<p>

"Yeah." Lunick nodded his head and, with a frown, pointed out another pattern, one which involved what looked like two dragons. "What's this one? It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen…" she frowned too and squinted her eyes, even turning the book to the side in order to make sense of it. After a while, she shrugged and placed it back onto her lap.  
>"I don't know. It's not on our browser, and going by this information… they'd have to be… legendaries?" she wondered, contemplative look never leaving her eyes as she looked at him again. "It would make sense."<p>

"Maybe…" he couldn't help but get excited over this new information. Any excuse for adventure sounded good nowadays. "You think they'll send us to investigate it? There's gotta be a ton of people needing our help over there… especially in that desert they have." He couldn't imagine living in a desert… all that sand whipping in your face, going up your nose as you tried to investigate it… he made a face just thinking about it. Nah. He was a city ranger for sure.

"You'd be surprised about that one," she replied with a laugh at his expression. "Humans are just as capable as Pokémon when it comes to adapting to life in new situations. If we didn't… well, the world would be a mess for sure."  
>"Amen to that." As Lunick spoke, the doors slammed open to reveal an agitated looking Professor Hastings. Both teenagers jumped to their feet, strange book forgotten in a heartbeat.<p>

"No time to talk! We've had numerous reports of strange lights and sounds coming from deep within Lyra Forest. Lunick, Solana, I want you two to investigate this immediate" –before the sentence could be completed, both of the blue haired rangers were racing past him; partner Pokémon clinging to their shoulders- "well then. Murph, I want you to scan the forest for any abnormal activity. And alert the others… this could prove to be a hazardous mission."  
>"Yes, roger!"<p> 


	36. MockShipping

_-Unique- (MockShipping)  
>Requested by: unreal.<br>(Songfic for Gotta Get Me Some by Nickelback)_

* * *

><p><em><strong>I went out on the town with a friend last weekend<br>His ex-girlfriend's 'friend' was there alone**_

"Crap," Barry groaned, looking over Paul's shoulder. He'd cut himself off mid-story, something that the purple haired man appreciated. While he appreciated the younger guy's offer to go for a drink on the town, he hadn't come to listen to him talk himself up. It was a miracle that he hadn't glassed him already. Or at least told him to shut the hell up.

"Don't tell me you're feeling sick already?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Barry abruptly shook his head, eyes hardening at this suggestion.

"Hell no. I can drink a whole lot more!" he argued, looking away from wherever he'd been looking at and slamming a fist onto the bar. "Hey, you! Yeah, you. Another round over here for the men!" he shouted over the chatter, waving his hand at the bartender before growling impatiently. "Hey! Hurry up!"

"The fact you consider yourself a man makes me laugh," a voice said calmly before Paul could get around to it. Barry stiffened, commands coming to a halt as the speaker laughed. Her tone had an almost sweet malice to it that Paul had never heard before in his life. "Aren't you the little boy hopelessly in love with that hussy?"

"Hey, now! Dawn isn't a freaking hussy, you… you… evil woman!" Barry protested, coloring as she laughed again. "She just… she… I thought you two were friends?"  
>"Me and <em>her?<em>" she snorted, sitting beside Paul without asking for permission. She looked different to most of the girls he'd met- she looked like a woman who could back up her words with her fists despite having a sweet looking face_. _An almost pleasant smile sat on her face as she degraded Barry's ex-girlfriend, seeming to enjoy his reactions as much as Paul did. "Get real. She and the dream team are almost as pathetic as you."

"She isn't! You have _no _class insulting her… she's a lot better than you'll ever be!" Barry snarled, getting more and more agitated by the minute. The smile fell from the stranger's face instantly, replaced by a heavy scowl that sent shivers down even Paul's spine. Her eyes darkened and her face paled as she clenched her fists. Barry looked petrified as she directed that scowl at him.  
>"Oh, is that so? DO enlighten me as to how that is…" the sweet malice stayed in her voice, only increasing a fraction while her voice became low.<br>"Calm your ass down." Paul downed another drink, shrugging as she began to scowl at him. "Or at least take your verbal-raping outside. Spare the virginal ears within hearing."

"Don't tell me that you're part of the dream team as well?" she asked almost incredulously, a cruel smirk playing on her lips as she waved the bartender down. "Aren't appearances deceiving… usually, I can tell a virgin just from a first glance."

"I… gotta go to the bathroom," Barry mumbled, grabbing his bag. Neither the stranger or Paul heard him or noticed him scurry away, a relieved look on his face as the two began to trade insults.  
>"Coming from the woman who looks like a child? What a compliment," Paul returned, returning her smirk evenly. She looked almost surprised for a second before her smirk became colder.<p>

_Someone's on their high Ponyta, _he decided as she made another insult towards his manhood. _Eh. She's fun enough._  
>"-I knew I could smell something strange," he interrupted, laughing at her shocked expression. "No wonder you're so touchy. Tom Collins for me," he added as the bartender cleared her throat.<br>"My shout," the stranger added onto that, sliding a few bills across the bar. The trainer shook his head before letting out a snort.

"I don't accept charity." His hand reached for the money- only to be stopped by her warm one. Her hand was curiously rough- did she work as a mechanic? - and free of any jewellery. She did, however, have long nails as he soon discovered. "What the hell!" he growled, pulling his hand back in a hurry. "You crazy-"  
>"'-calm your ass down'," she mocked, shoving the money towards the now gaping bartender, who ran off in a hurry. Paul glared at the stranger, who gave him a cunning smile.<br>"You're a bitch," he said flatly, nursing his scratched hand.  
>"I try," she replied modestly, playing with her red hair.<p>

* * *

><p><em><strong>She bought a couple rounds and I got the feeling she could really handle alcohol…<strong>_

"Impressive… but don't get cocky," she said after he finished another shot. He wasn't sure who had come up with the idea of a shots competition or how they'd gotten to her house; but he did know that he was enjoying himself. He was right about Ursula- she _was _different to the other girls in Sinnoh. She was edgier, more fun to be around. She shrugged off his worst insults, returning them almost cordially.

_She was unique. _Her dislike of Ash Ketchum was the thing that he liked the most about her- she wasn't like the other girls who thought he was the most amazing person ever. She'd met him once or twice, she'd said with a laugh, but thought he was a complete bigot. Dawn was an airhead who won by luck- he'd openly smirked at the expression on her face as the blunette had been discussed- and Brock was just a freaking perv that was destined to be forever alone.  
>She was very interesting for sure.<p>

_**..And it turns out she's got everything I want  
>All rolled into one<strong>_

"Shuddup," he requested as she poured herself another shot. His eyes lingered on her lips as they parted, accepting the alcohol with ease before turning upwards. She could hold her liquor well- after so many shots and the couple of rounds beforehand at the bar, it was a miracle that she hadn't passed out yet.  
>"I win," she said triumphantly, throwing the glass behind her. It smashed loudly on the ground but she paid it no heed as he raised his eyebrows. "Ya drunk. Pay up, woman."<p>

"So are you. I'm not passed out. I dun owe you a cent yet… never thought of you as a quitter." His tone became as mocking as hers as she made a rude gesture towards him.  
>"Shut your face. I never back down," she replied, thrusting the bottle towards him. She nearly hit him in the nose with it- probably on purpose, despite her lack of soberness. "Thankfully, neither are you."<p>

"Growing attached, are we?" he asked, accepting it with a smile. She rolled her eyes and punched his shoulder before falling onto it.

"Wishful thinking?"  
>"Shut ya face or this goes where the sun doesn't shine…" The threat was softened with a quick, drunken kiss. Neither one was sure who started it but their night continued on without a pause.<p>

_**She smokes a little home grown  
>drinks a little Cuero<br>Still a little down home  
>There was never a doubt<br>She's got a fast car  
>Hotter than a dance bar<br>Looking like a rock star  
>She'll be the talk of the town<br>You know, she's got everything I want  
>All rolled into one<br>Gotta Get Me Some.  
><strong>_


	37. DualRivalShipping

_- More than just a pretty face- (DualRivalShipping)  
>Requested by: Luvena.<em>

"Hurry up, Romeo. Juliet awaits."  
>"Will you stop calling me that?"<br>"Dude. Tonight's your lucky night! What else _can _I call you?" Cheren gave an exasperated sigh and stared long and hard at his best male friend, who sat on the floor with a smile on his face.  
>His <em>only <em>best friend if this went wrong, he thought glumly. He wasn't the romantic type; couldn't be if he tried. He simply wasn't able to show affection like that to the extent of someone like Bianca.

_Bianca… _there was attraction between the two of them, always had been. They managed to fit together perfectly despite their many differences. He sighed again and got to his feet, thinking of how he could possibly pull this impossible mission off.  
>He could defeat trainers with a flat stare…<br>But Cheren couldn't tell one of his best friends that he loved her.

* * *

><p>He found nearly everything about her to be appealing, from her warm smiles to her clumsiness. He'd never admit it aloud but he found that clumsiness to be cute. <em><br>Cute. _It was such an overused, cliché word… but it was one that fit the blond perfectly.

There was only one thing that he disliked about her, one that exasperated him to the point of no return: her insecurities. He didn't know what she _had _to be insecure about- she was perfect! She was beautiful, sweet and genuine. Everything that she did was done with her best efforts. She spent nights studying alongside him, struggling to learn everything she could about the world of Pokémon. She was, he thought with a smile, destined to be an amazing professor one day. Her eagerness to learn amazed him, as did her determination to prove everyone wrong.  
><em>"I'm not a pretty face. I'm me," <em>she'd said one day, raising her chin bravely. _"I'm not an airhead or a freak. I'm gonna be the very best I can be!" _

Her tantrums were reducing in numbers, as were her tears whenever she got something wrong. He'd always been as patient as he could be during these episodes, awkwardly consoling her as she wailed about her 'stupidity'.  
>Could tonight be the night that everything changed?<p>

* * *

><p>"Aaand she's here. Showtime, Romeo!" his heart flew at those words and tumbled over itself as he stood up. "Just do what I suggested and you'll be alright. She likes that song," Black added with a shudder. "I don't know how or why, but it's your best bet."<br>"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Cheren asked incredulously, smoothing his hair and shooting the hero of Unova a glare. He laughed at that and, despite Cheren's protests, shoved him towards the door.

"Someone has to do it. Everyone knows, man. It's pretty much expected, you know?" Black asked, shrugging his shoulders. "You two are gonna go out and get married, and- stop blushing, you know it's true!"  
>"I'm not blushing," Cheren argued, even though he very much was. "I'm-"<br>"-hot for her? Duh. She lights up your world like-"  
>"-shut up." the bespectacled boy swatted his laughing friend's shoulder and squared his after a sigh. "Alright."<br>"You can do this. It's worth it, too," Black encouraged, opening the door and straightening his jacket.  
>"Let's hope so."<p>

His jaw nearly dropped at the sight of her. She looked… stunning. She was dressed in a modest orange dress; all made up for whatever Black had planned.  
>But, he saw, she was extremely nervous. While White chattered away to a friend about everything under the sun, she stood against a wall, fidgeting. She looked up, blond curls bouncing as she did so, and locked eyes with him.<p>

_How did she know he was there? _He never knew that answer, but he would always remember how he felt as her face lit up as they stared at each other. He felt a smile tug on his lips as she ran towards him, handbag left in the moment. He reached for her as she jumped onto him, squealing his name in joy.  
>It felt right to hold her and laugh as she continued to squeal.<p>

* * *

><p>"What did you want to talk to me about?" she asked as they stood in his backyard. They'd soon tired of the chatter and loud music, finally getting an excuse to leave when Bianca claimed that she needed fresh air because she was claustrophobic.<p>

It was a silly excuse, but one that had worked. Before he'd left, Black had caught his eye and had given him a wink.  
><em>Go for gold, <em>he'd mouthed before turning back to whatever White had been saying.

"Well…." He sighed and turned to face her, swallowing back a lump in his throat. She looked absolutely beautiful tonight, even more so with a shy look on her face. A blush mantled her cheeks as he took her hands and said as clearly as he could:

"You're insecure… don't know what for." (The wording in that sentence had nearly choked him) "You turn heads when you walk through the door. Don't need make up to cover up… being the way that you are is enough. Everyone else in the room can see it… everyone else but…" he swallowed as unmistakable tears began to fill her eyes.  
><em>I stuffed it up<em>, he groaned internally, placing a hand awkwardly on her shoulder. "Bianca…"  
>"Is that really about me?" she whispered, looking up at him pathetically.<p>

"Of course, silly. Who else would I be singing about?" he asked, looking into her eyes and smiling slightly. "You're beautiful, Bianca. You light up my world like nobody else. There's no one I'd rather care about than you." She smiled at him then, allowing the tears to fall down her cheeks. "I… well, I love you," he added uncertainly as she flung her arms around him again. "I love you, Bianca," he tried again, murmuring it into her sweet smelling hair.  
>"I love you too," she sobbed against his jacket, pulling back to look at him again. "I really, really do."<p>

"I know…" he placed a finger underneath her chin and, as she let out a breath, kissed her. Her lips were wet and a tear fell onto his nose, but he didn't care. As they broke apart, she was looking at him in a way he'd imagined for a long time. "You're beautiful. No matter what."  
>"So are you," she whispered as he wiped away her tears. "You're a pretty person, Ren. Was that okay?" she asked anxiously as he grimaced. "I'm sorry…"<p>

"No, it's fine," he replied hastily, kissing her again. "I'm… pretty."  
><em>Suck it up,<em> Black's voice echoed in his mind. _You know how she is, man…_  
>"You are," she agreed, obviously relieved as she kissed him again. "You're perfect."<p> 


	38. RocketShipping

_-Understanding- (RocketShipping)  
>Requested by: the fallen and joey. <em>

_**Been too long! Sorry if this is too angsty or OOC, this is how I thought things would be if it was only Jessie that got the offer for the promotion in Unova. **_

* * *

><p>He hears her calling for him but can't bring himself to turn around. The tears are streaming down his face, doing nothing for his already blurry vision. He doesn't know where he's going but he knows that it's got to be as far away from her as possible. She pleads with him now, sounding almost as if she's crying herself. He suddenly comes to a stop and after a second falls to his knees. His face goes into his hands as he sobs, shoulders shaking uncontrollably. He doesn't understand why she said yes after years of friendship, trust and understanding between them. The way her eyes lit up when she was offered the stupid promotion made him realize what he was to her.<br>Nothing.

"James." He hears her approach and is incapable of doing anything. He wants her to go away but stay at the same time. His feelings for her have always had that tinge of pain in them, always. She could be angelic one day and his worst nightmare the next. "James… I… I'm sorry." Her voice breaks as she slumps to her knees beside him. Her gloved hand reaches for his shoulder but hesitates inches away from it.  
>"Why?" he whispers through another sob. "Why?"<br>"Because… I don't know." She's near tears now. The hand falls onto his shoulder, gripping it tightly as she realizes her error. "I…"  
>"You're getting what you always wanted. You're going to be… away." James chokes, breaking back into tears. "You're leaving me, Jess. Why? What about Meowth?" the feline companion of so many years was going to be as devastated by this as he was now. Both of them had taken Jessie's presence for granted all this time. Her volatile temperament had kept them on their toes (especially James), her words had kept them going. Whenever James had wanted to give up, she'd stopped him.<br>As he'd stopped her. They had a bond… or so he'd thought. She begins to cry now, resting her head on her hand. He feels and smells her long hair and relives some memories, reaching for her as she reaches for him.

* * *

><p>He remembers Victreebell and its antics, remembers how he and Jessie had cried when Weezing and Arbok had been released. He'd held her in his arms as they cried for the first time together, something that had shaped them. They had understood each other that day; saw each other in a different light. They'd been stripped to the bone that day. He'd realized how he'd felt about her and had hoped that she felt the same. For a while it felt like she had… he remembers her rare smiles, each and every one of them. The even rarer moments where she held his hand… but the memory that flashes through his mind the strongest is the day that he turned down Jezzabelle.<br>The day he'd realized where he belonged. He belonged with Jessie and Meowth. He'd felt at peace that day- the poor little rich boy had found his equals in the irate former nurse and the stray Meowth who'd changed everything about himself for an indifferent girl.

His breathing begins to slow down as the tears begin to stop. Jessie knows his flaws and, despite being mean about a few of them, understands and accepts them. Whenever he acts like a frightened child, she comforts him. Just the same with her, minus being mean. He's been so patient throughout the years, helping her achieve. He looks up and rubs his neck, slowing hard in the silence. Jessie's eyes meet his and he sees what he needs to see- her genuine pain and apology over her greed.

"You should take the position." James says, swallowing back more tears as they begin to form. She shakes her head, gaze dropping.  
>"No." she refuses, voice soft.<br>"You told the boss you'd take it…" his voice quivers but he refuses to let any more tears fall. He has to be strong here.  
>"No, I told him I wasn't interested." She lifts her head again, eyes as soft as her voice. James is speechless for a moment as he digests this. His eyes widen and his heart picks up slightly, becoming hopeful again as she smiles. It's a little smile but one that he enjoys seeing.<br>"B-but you wanted to go to the new region… you wanted to be-"  
>"-not without my partners. I'm not going without you… or Meowth," she interrupts, squeezing his hand. The motion sends heat flooding through his body and fully picks up his heart. The sadness fades from him, replaced by pure joy. She really meant it. She wasn't going to leave him. "I'm not leaving. I… I don't want to leave. I'm not leaving you." He hugs her again then, smiling as happy tears come to his eyes. "I'm sorry for being so selfish…"<br>"You changed your mind" is all that he can say. They finally break apart, huge smiles on their faces as he squeezes her hand back. Both have affection in their eyes- no, more than that. Love. James is ashamed for doubting Jessie and she's ashamed for nearly putting her old goals over her heart.  
>But all is forgiven. No matter how much they fight or she hurts him, they always make up.<br>Their bond is there after all. It always will be.


	39. AdvancedMomShipping

_-The Way The Wind Blows- (AdvancedMomShipping)  
>Requested by: luthor.<br>_

"I don't think we have much longer," he urged, tapping her arm. She looked down at him with genuine amusement, wrapping her fingers around the thin wrist. His pulse was racing, going a million miles an hour as he continued to sweat. "Mrs-"  
>"-Ash, I told you, you don't have to call me that," she reminded him gently, squeezing his wrist and smiling. "I'd rather you call me Carrie. The formalities are sweet, though." A blush mantled his cheeks as he forced a smile back, unable to look her in the eyes. Caroline almost giggled at the irony of the situation- many years ago; it had been <em>her <em>who'd been unable to look at her older suitors. The very mention of their names had her covering her face and changing the subject!- but held it back, for it would confuse young Ash more than she dared to admit. This whole affair was confusing the poor boy enough as it was. "And to answer your question, dear, you have nothing to be worried about. Max and Pikachu won't be back for several hours." he nodded slowly and finally met her eyes for an instant. The soft brown eyes are what first caught Caroline's attention when she was introduced to the confident teenager. They were so innocently naïve to the world around him, so childishly determined to be somebody in this world. They were even more so as he peeked at her through his eyelashes, biting his lip like a child ready to be scolded. It was hard to believe that the boy in front of her was seventeen years of age- but then, he assured her, it was also hard to believe that she was thirty-seven. Looks were deceiving.

"May I try again, then?" he asked finally, looking back at her with complete trust in his eyes. His hand returned to its position on her knee as she nodded, flashing another reassuring smile.  
>"You don't even have to ask," she replied, kissing the upturned face. He sighed as their lips came into contact, closing his eyes and renewing the rubbing of her knee. His breathing slowed as they continued to kiss, curling up closer together in front of the television. This was the way Caroline preferred things to be- slow, simple and gentle. It'd been a long time since she'd felt so relaxed in front of a man; a very long time indeed. Her husband was always busy with his work. He refused to leave it even when his wife stood in the doorway speaking in a sultry voice. He wouldn't even look up at her. It used to frustrate her so much… but then she'd begun to spend more time with Ash while he healed up from an injury.<p>

Yes, he could have gone home- but the stubborn black haired boy had refused to leave Hoenn after Rayquaza had been spotted flying in the sky. Brock and May had gone on ahead without him, disgruntled and saddened. Ash had been sad to part with his friends but he'd never met Rayquaza. He'd only heard it roar before falling into a pothole and breaking his leg.  
><em>I'll be just fine, <em>he insisted to a protesting Delia. _I don't need to come home, mom. Norman and Caroline can help me out. _And so Caroline had. She'd fixed up May's room for him and tended to him. He in return gave her a companion. An equal. Max was too young and May had no interest in any of the things her mother enjoyed. Ash was willing to spend time with her and discuss anything she liked.

One thing had led to another. She'd stopped seeing Ash as 'May's friend' and started seeing him as 'my boy' instead. She'd gone from being 'May's mom' to 'Ash's secret girlfriend'. The title always made them giggle, no matter what it was they were doing. That title was meant for someone younger than her, someone who wasn't married and a mother… yet it fit her to a t. It was deliciously wrong and right at the same time.  
><em>And it's our little secret. <em>That, she believed, sealed the deal for both of them. Ash didn't have to worry about what people would say if people found out (but of course he still did) and, for now, Caroline felt shameless about having a lover. Her marriage had been falling apart for a while now- was it wrong to have somebody to take that pain away and replace it with joy? She didn't believe so. She was following her heart like her children followed their dreams. And that heart belonged to Ash Ketchum, the boy who wanted to be the very best like no one ever was.


	40. Max X Audrey

_-But Boys Are Gross! - (Max X Audrey)  
>Requested by: PrincessOfDestiny14.<br>_

_**Might be a bit OOC for the twins but we need more light hearted, innocent OneShots in this. And what better place to begin than with the children? :)**_

* * *

><p>"Max?" the little girl asks, rocking on her heels. Her twin only smirks at her and giggles into her palm, causing a flush to cross the usually pale cheeks. The three of them are seated in a library- Max's choice, obviously- while the older kids are off on some sort of adventure for the afternoon. Sid's <em>supposed <em>to be 'watching' them but he's nowhere to be seen. It's just them in an empty library and it is beyond boring.

But how could Sid argue with Max's sister? That, Audrey thinks with an annoyed glance at the bespectacled boy, was so unfair. May isn't even from here so why does she have the right to tell them what to do?  
>"'Max?'" Kathryn imitates in a monotone that only Audrey can hear."Audrey and Max, sitting in a-"<br>"-shut up!" Audrey hisses, shoving her sister's shoulder and feeling guilty for her irritated thinking as Kathryn's pink hat falls from her head. May makes Sid happy so she must be okay. Maybe she thinks the same about her and… ewww, no. She makes a face and gags silently. She, like other old people, would think that she was Max's girlfriend. Which she _totally _isn't! Boys are gross and think girls are icky when they're not. Some eat _mud. _Some are just silly. And others… like Max… are just… boring. Yeah, she agrees with a smug smile to Kathryn, who's just picked up the fallen hat. They're booooring. Kathryn makes a face and tugs on her socks, pulling them up to look like a total geek. _Like Max?_ she wonders, hiding her own giggles as Kathryn confirms her suspicions. She ties her hair in pigtails (similar to the ones their mom tries to do to their hair) and makes her fingers look like glasses, brown eyes mischievous as Max finally answers.

"Hm?" he doesn't look up from his book, only proves Audrey's point by shoving his glasses back up his nose with a finger. Kathryn copies him as Audrey becomes serious again, face turning red.  
>"Can I… uh… borrow a pencil?" Kathryn's laughter appears to be harder to repress as she falls forward, shutting her eyes in clear mirth. She's having a field day with this for NO reason! Audrey thinks angrily, sticking her tongue out at her least favorite sister in the world. "I want to draw," she adds unnecessarily, crossing and uncrossing her legs. Max nods and slides a pencil across the floor, still engrossed in the book. "Thanks."<br>"It's okay." Now he looks up and smiles at her, eyes flashing behind the ugly black frames. "Whatcha doing?" behind him Kathryn makes a face but Audrey pays her no attention. She's struck by Max's sudden attention, something that amplifies as he actually _shuts his book and puts it on the ground next to him. _Should she say something…?  
>"Drawing," she replies honestly, picking up the pencil and deciding against making a comment about the book. It might hurt Max's feelings. "I was thinking of drawing Deoxys in its attack forme."<br>"Can I help?" Max asks eagerly, beginning to grin. "Deoxys looks really cool in its attack forme!"  
><em>How can she say no to that? <em>She smiles at his enthusiasm and readily agrees, placing the paper between them and lying on the carpet.  
>"I'll draw its left side, okay?"<br>"Can I help?" Kathryn asks, undoing her hair from the nerdy pigtails as Max raises his eyebrows.  
>"Yeah. You can choose the picture!" Max suggests happily, handing over the book he was reading before.<br>"Okay." There's blissful silence as the picture is chosen and the two begin to draw, occasionally swapping glances and approving smiles. To Audrey's surprise, Max is a pretty good drawer and not so boring. Maybe he isn't gross… yeah, she decides after smiling at him again, maybe he's cool.


	41. BlushShipping

_-Paused- (BlushShipping)  
>Requested by: doom.<br>_

She wasn't one to beat around the bush, never had been. She started the battles the minute her challenger walked into the room, said nothing to them until the battle ended. Even then she paid them no heed, not even bothering to register their disappointed faces in her memory as they exited her room of the frontier.  
>So what was it about this boy that made the almost emotionless Pike Queen pause? She glances at him again, only to find that he's already watching her. He says something witty to her and she blushes furiously, feeling foolishly giddy over nothing. She hasn't even known this boy a full week and he has a strange hold over her. She isn't sure how to feel about that- she's supposed to be the Pike Queen, not a stupid country hick falling over her own feet in front of a suitor. Her stomach churns as she continues to watch him, this hypnotic like boy named Brock. He continues to watch her too, eyes heart shaped as he takes in her features. Neither of them say anything for a time and they go unnoticed by his friends who continue to talk as if they aren't in the room.<p>

What she's feeling is bizarre. She doesn't understand it and that fact frustrates her. She wants to be alone with Brock, to talk to him. To be held by him. He smelt intoxicatingly good when he was closer before… ahh. She fidgets and looks away finally, face finally cooling until he chuckles at some inside joke. She'd met boys before but had never really looked at them twice until now. They were nothing more than… people to her, really. Unimportant and unnecessary. While her friends had flirted and dated she'd been training to become one of Hoenn's greatest trainers. She'd gone through her teenage years without a boyfriend or a kiss- was that something to be proud of? Had she missed something after all? She looks up again and Brock smiles at her. It's a sweet smile that makes her knees knock against each other and her heart go ridiculously fast.  
>She <em>has <em>to talk to him. It's mandatory now, she decides, walking past him on shaky legs. She can barely breathe as she passes him, desperately hoping that he follows.

The cool air does little to freeze her glowing body. She even paces impatiently on the steps, trying both to not be impatient and calm herself down.  
><em>You're jittery, <em>her inner voice sighs exasperatedly. _You're… acting like a child with her first crush. Is this what that old statement really means?_ Was her life really that sheltered and lonely? She's uncertain and her emotions are bouncing around like a child on a jumping castle… but it feels right. She feels as if she's been awoken. Like she's been in hibernation for an eternity before finally waking up to her first spring morning. She likes his voice, his face… she likes _him. _He fascinates and excites her. The door opens and her stomach flutters around again as he walks out the door. He says her name and she blushes yet again, making him smile widely.  
>"Hi." What else is there to say?<br>"Hey," he replies, advancing on her. He looks down at her and takes her hands in his. Nothing else is said as she follows her heart, meshing their faces together in a way she thought impossible.  
>For days afterwards she could still feel the imprint of his lips on hers… and it felt glorious.<p> 


	42. LuckyShipping

_-Chasing Rainbows- (LuckyShipping)  
>Requested by: anon.<br>_

'_Hey, Green. I just wanted to say-'  
>'Green, I wanted to say-'<br>'I think I- never mind. Crap, I'm still writing.' _he shakes his head and drops the ripped pieces of paper onto the ground, a thousand forgotten memories flashing through his mind. The spring cleaning is forgotten temporarily as he stares into space, over the laughing photographs and the items he'd thought he'd disposed of years ago.  
>Just like their previous owner, they seem to have a way of coming back into his life at the most unexpected times. He can remember every detail when they do, from the scent of her soft hair in the mornings to the way she smiled at him in the evenings. He could remember exactly what food she liked on a normal day and what she complained about during <em>that <em>time. He still knew what to get her when that time rolled around and in what order. He was the only one who could stand to be around her for the whole week… he guessed that was part of the reason he thought he'd had a chance.

He'd been smitten from the moment he'd first laid eyes on her. She'd turned up the charm and he'd eaten it up, much to her amusement and delight. She'd ripped him off really badly for the first year or so of their acquaintanceship but he hadn't cared. He just wanted to make her smile and laugh even when the nagging voices in his head told him it was a bad idea. He wanted to make her happy- no, wanted to get to know her. Maybe even be her boyfriend if she needed one. She was so pretty and so nice and so… wow. The thought of her made his stomach go weird and his palms go sweaty. Whenever she smiled at him he turned red and stammered out replies, to which she'd laugh and disappear before he had a chance to recover.  
>"Puppy love," the professor had called it with an understanding smile once a reluctant Red had enquired about it. Red hadn't understood what he'd meant at the time- who does when you're a kid with your crush? - but it had embarrassed the living hell out of him afterwards. Especially once he'd understood Oak's talk about 'how it happens to everyone around his age group'. Now he can only laugh ruefully at his younger self and wince whenever the talk comes back to him. He wonders if Blue got that talk as well- nah, he decides with a glance at Pika, he's not thinking about Yellow, the holder who blushes at the slightest sexual implication. He's talking about <em>Blue freaking Oak- <em>the guy who got his first kiss when he was eight. As serious as Blue is now, he knew all about ladies and how to handle them. It used to irk Red how easily those things came to his rival- while he was stammering to his feet about how… wow (he winces again at the word choice) Green looked, Blue was wooing her with his stand-offish attitude.

He thought for the longest time that she felt the same as he did. She acted differently with the other boys of the Dex Holders- made him feel special with her winks, purred words and pet names. Sometimes their eye contact would hold and she'd get this funny look in her eye… only to leave the room abruptly, slamming the door behind her with flaming cheeks. Unfortunately, that hope had been crushed the night he'd given up trying to write a 'cute little love note' for her. She'd mentioned that she liked them to Crystal, so he'd spent hours trying to write one- especially after he'd caught her looking at him while she said it. Her gaze had been speculating, confusion marring her pretty face as she stared at his face before realizing that yes, he could see her. The gaze had been ripped from him and she'd blushed. Only to break his heart hours later.

"_Red…" she spoke coldly, like he was a bug underneath her foot. Her face was oddly contorted as she tried to look at him, sending fear into his heart. "I don't like you. So… just knock it off, okay? I like Blue, not you." _ He'd actually cried over her for a week once that had been revealed. Blue and Green became an item, something that apparently had been speculated for a long time by the others. Red hadn't seen it coming- would he have backed off if he'd actually known about it? He still didn't know the answer to that ten years after it had all been said and done. But he did know that, as much as it had hurt, he'd survived his first heartbreak. He'd left Kanto for a bit to travel and had come back a stronger man after nights of fighting self pity and stubbornly telling himself to forget her. He'd had other girlfriends and Green had had other boyfriends… but they'd never spoken in private since that eventful night.

* * *

><p>Having a crush on Green had been like chasing rainbows. Every time he'd tried to cross one to get the pot of gold, it'd vanish and he'd fall flat on his face. She was awful to him with her mind games, he saw that now. It had started as a childish game and had ended as a cold ploy. But still… he smiles ruefully and fiddles with his old cap; he'd forgive her and actually speak to her now if she wanted to. It was really all up to her. He'd seen her regretful, searching glances as they'd walked past each other on the street, saw the pink lips part, heard her take a breath… only to give up and walk away without a second look. She was hopelessly stubborn and oblivious. A Rhydon in a china shop at times. It was obvious now that she <em>did <em>fall for him so long ago. She _did _want that chance he'd handed out along with his heart and ripped love notes. She'd just been too scared and confused by what she'd felt to take it. She'd tried to be an ice queen but had melted under love's heat.

He hears the scuffling in the hall and blinks, momentarily lost in time. Pika's long gone from his spot on the bed but comes charging back into the room as the door opens, revealing two arguing and dishevelled girls. A brunette appears in the doorway behind them, sharp eyes assessing the damage done as Jamie complains of a stolen toy Pokéflute. Her sister tosses her long mane of hair defiantly to cover her splutter, only to catch Red's eye instead. For a second he falters- the irises are a sweet blue color he's only ever seen on one person. The pink lips stretch into an impossibly perfect large smile as the doll she carries is dropped, forgotten as she races towards her father with her arms outstretched. Within a heartbeat she's in his arms giggling, warmly snuggled up with him into the ratty old jacket that his wife absolutely hates.  
>"Daddy," she coos to him sweetly, as if she hadn't stolen her sister's toy in the first place. She pulls apart from him and he looks into her face, blinking. The blue irises are gone, replaced by warm brown ones that are similar to his own. The perfect row of teeth he'd seen a second ago are gone as well, replaced by the crooked mouth only a child is capable of having. The wind whistles through the two missing bottom teeth as she natters on to him about the situation at hand, ignoring his lack of reactions as the toy is shoved into his hand.<br>"Look, daddy! I'm you," she says proudly, giggling again at her success. "I'm Red!"  
>"See? I TOLD YOU SHE STOLE IT!" Jamie whines, grabbing her mother's arm and pulling her forwards as Red begins to smile again. He accepts the toy and squeezes the five year old's hand, memories shutting themselves behind their appropriate door as the girls' mother begins to scold the guilty party. Leaf doesn't seem to regret her actions but apologizes to Jamie as Crystal looks down at Red, eyes searching his own. He shrugs in response and she smiles, tousling their daughter's hair without a word.<p> 


	43. GrantedShipping

_- Everything About You- (GrantedShipping)  
>Requested by: Zorua-15.<br>_

_She was a roadblock to his plan. Always had been. _She was silly and stupid for not realizing who he was sooner- _what _he was. He was her polar opposite, her main roadblock. She was ten years his junior but acted like she was an additional five years younger. That, he supposed with a drag of his cigarette, was why she was so naïve. Why she had only recently clicked on to the true him after so long of knowing each other.

It was simple, really. He wanted to destroy the world and she didn't. There was nothing else to it.  
><em>"How can you get rid of all this?" <em>her incredulous cry rings in his ears and he smiles grimly at her reaction. _"The sunshine, the flowers… the Pokémon! You'll-you'll kill your own Pokémon, Lance! "  
>"For the greater good." <em>He exhales and stares at the roof, shaking his head. She couldn't understand his reason anymore than he could understand her wanting to save their world. It was an ugly one filled with corruption and distorted lies. He'd given up on any change long ago, long before the blond beauty was even born.

Blond beauty… pah. Again he shakes his head, perturbed. She may have been attractive but that didn't matter in this doomed world now. At least not to him. She, just like everyone else, would die. Just like him. He was ready to die for selfless reasons- _good _reasons, he believes firmly. The defiant brown eyes flash through his mind again and he frowns, forcing it away in a heartbeat. She, like any kid, had her moments. She could be immature to the point of him wanting to smack his head against a wall repeatedly. There was no rationalizing with her and he hated it. It was why he never talked to her unless he was pushed to breaking point. There was no point dealing with a pouting brat who was screaming, crying and abusing him for his beliefs. No matter how soft skinned she was or how interesting she looked during those periods of madness…

She's dispensable, isn't she? Isn't that what he keeps telling himself? She's just another human. Just another girl oblivious to the world. Blind to everything but what she wants to see…

He feels the disturbance before he sees it in the sheets. Warm skin touches his arms and something soft touches his shoulder- something soft and wet. It takes a lot of his control to not jump at the sudden wetness, especially when a gust of warm air suddenly forces itself onto that area. His eyes look down in spite of himself and he can't help but sigh at what he sees and feels. She's asleep, mouth gaping open and oozing like a bleeding wound. Her neat blond hair is messy and her head is at a peculiar angle, one that is sure to give her an aching neck tomorrow. But more importantly, her expression is peaceful. Her little hands are pressed against his chest, right on top of his heart.  
>But what gets him is the absence of baby fat surrounding her cheeks. The roughness of her palms against his bare chest. It's the little things like these that remind him that despite her childlike features she's a woman… but she's still a threat, this woman with the bright blue eyes that could conquer the world.<p>

He could have been with her in another life. _Oh well. No use crying over spilt milk, _he decides reluctantly, carefully shifting her weight onto the pillows beside her. Her hair tickles his face and he greedily inhales her scent as it wafts upwards towards him, identical to a flower reacting to the sunlight. Her eyes flicker underneath her eyelids and she frowns, fidgeting at the sudden movement. Her mouth opens in protest and for a heartbeat he doesn't know what to do with himself should she awaken now.  
><em>"Why?" <em>he hears her ask again. He can see the look on her face; see the tears forming in her eyes as she watches him leave. This time he has no answer for her.

_What is there to say, anyway? She should have known this day would come. _He stops moving her and looks at the vulnerable face, again reminded of the sweet child she'd been so long ago. She'd never lost her temperament or her inability to hide her feelings, something he secretly is grateful of. She exasperates him and he can't help but like it a little. Her expression slackens again and she returns to her peaceful slumber, hands relaxing around his wrists. With an odd sensation in his chest he lowers her and releases her from his grip, eyes never leaving her face. His hand cups her face and traces the fine jaw line, finally reaching her chin far too quickly for his liking.

_**You **__should have known this day would come._

* * *

><p>After some hesitation he brushes some of her hair out of her face and pulls away, swallowing hard. He dresses at a normal rate before collecting his Pokéballs from the floor and throwing his cigarette in the bin. Finally he reaches the door and he finds himself turning back to face her, hesitating. Yellow's still asleep, oblivious to his intentions.<br>As she's always been. She's everything he hates but he likes it. She's his chaser, his Cresselia. And now he's leaving her behind to do what he must. With a hollowed chest he forces himself to walk away.

He says no word of farewell as he exits her home, leaving it exactly the way it had been the previous night. He fumbles with the complicated locking system before finally shutting the door on her and setting out in the rising sun, hands dug deeply into his pockets. His face is blank and internally he's shutting himself down. He's forcing himself to forget her and the battle she's lost. With this flute he can awaken the God of the Pokémon world and, after ten years of waiting, make it destroy its creation. She can't stop him this time…  
>…even if she has his future location placed into her sleeping hand.<p> 


	44. ComposerShipping

_-Heart of a Traveller- (ComposerShipping)  
>Requested by: luthor.<em>

"WHAT?" Chilli yelled, turning on his older brother. He looked completely stunned- and a little hurt at what he was hearing. "What do you mean, you're leaving?"  
>"Cilan, you can't just give up," Cress objected, slamming a rag onto a table and shooting his brother an incredulous look. "This is our livelihood. Our everything, really…" the green haired brother fidgeted at the counter, unsure of where to look or what to say. He was upset at the sudden objection to his decision to travel Unova- especially at the look on Cress's face. He'd hoped that the most rational triplet would have agreed automatically to this, not torn him down in a heartbeat. "Did someone say something to you? Or do something to you? This isn't you…"<br>"I'll kill 'em," Chilli declared flatly, cracking his knuckles. The look of hurt was yet to leave his eyes despite the anger that now marked his face. "Give me names and I'll-"  
>"-no, no! No one's said or done anything!" Cilan burst, crossing his hands in front of his face frantically. "Even if they had, I wouldn't be leaving you." Cress relaxed slightly, picking up the rag again to squeeze it between his fingers. He too had recovered from the shock announcement but had become worried as a result. His forehead was creased and his eyes were tight around the corners as he stared long and hard at his brother, searching his face for some logical explanation as to why he was leaving. Chilli, on the other hand, didn't believe a word that Cilan had to say.<br>"Then why the hell are you bailing on us?" he demanded, gripping onto the table's end so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "What, did you find a girl and knock her up or something?"  
>"Chilli!" Cress chastised, appalled at his brother's wording. Cilan's eyes widened as Chilli smirked coldly, cruelly pulling up something that he knew hurt his brother. Something so confidential that only they knew about it. "Oh, that's right. You're-"<p>

"-shut up!"Cilan said frantically, eyes darting over to Cress as he shoved a hand over Chilli's mouth. "Shut up, now!" Cress looked between them, lost. Concern lit up his eyes as Chilli continued to try and make a point, words muffled into their brother's palm. Cilian was actually close to tears- although he couldn't define whether they were hurt, angry or upset tears. All rationality had flown out the window now. He felt cornered now, as if his very future hung in the balance.  
>And, in a sense, it did. Chilli had responded badly enough at first to the secret, refusing to so much as look at him for a week straight after walking in on it. That had killed Cilan inside more than anything- but he was prepared to say that Cress's reaction would be even worse.<br>"You're what?" Cress asked, dropping the rag onto the floor as he watched his struggling brothers.  
>"N-nothing." Cilan insisted, struggling to keep Chilli in his grip. He was deathly pale and very afraid. "Nothing at all."<p>

"Don't lie to me, Cil. What?" Cress asked again patiently despite tensing up as Chilli tried to shout out the secret again. "What is so bad you can't tell me?" again he searched his brother's eyes- but all three jumped as he screamed in pain and ripped his hand away from Chilli's mouth. "Cilan" –but Cilan was already running for the door, nursing his hand as tears freely streaked his face.  
>He was done for now. The game was up.<p>

* * *

><p>He blindly ran for a time before slumping into a tree and breaking into sobs. How could he have trusted his brother with that secret for so long? No… why couldn't he be normal? Why did he, a gym leader of all people, have to harbor demons like that? It was unheard of! There had never been a… different leader in history. He'd checked that already in hopes of having someone to identify with. With a sinking heart he realized that he was alone. A stranger in a normal world. An oddity.<br>"Hey. You alright?" he heard someone ask from close by. "You okay, buddy?"  
>"I'm fine," Cilan hiccupped, hastily pulling himself upright. Arceus curse his luck today! "I just… needed time alone…" his voice broke apart before he could stop himself and he landed back onto the tree, fresh sobs breaking out of his chest. "I-I"- he felt a hand touch his shoulder- "please…"<br>"Shhh," the stranger replied softly, rubbing his shoulder consolingly. He didn't bother with false promises of 'things being better soon' or empty threats of violence to whoever had made him cry, something he was grateful for. Instead the stranger stood by his side, humming under his breath as he waited for Cilan to calm down. He had a musical sounding voice, a kind voice. He was sure that he'd never heard that voice before in his life.  
><em>Who was this musical voiced stranger? <em>

After what felt like hours he raised his head and reluctantly looked his sympathizer in the eye. Any questions he had caught in his throat as he stared at the smiling man… who stared at him back before telling him his name and who he was.

* * *

><p>"That was beautiful," he admitted softly, wiping a tear out of the corner of his eye with the borrowed hankie as Nando concluded his song. "However did you learn to play like that?" Nando shrugged his shoulders in his easy way, a smile turning up his lips as he called to his Roselia. It bowed graciously to Cilian before sitting beside it's trainer, a smile on its face as the traveller spoke.<br>"Years of practise, I guess," he said modestly with another shrug. Roselia imitated the gesture and giggled to itself, rose hiding its face from view. Nando's smile faded and his tone became more serious as he sat upright, shoulders squaring. The cello fell into his lap, facedown. Cilan tensed, suddenly unaware of what was to happen next. "My mother always told me, if you have a passion, follow it," he continued, staring intently at Cilian, "never let it fade… but so many people do. They have so much talent but they just… give up. It's maddening." Cilian bit his lip as Nando's words hit him in the chest. He sounded exactly like Cress at that point. He _looked _like Cress with that grave look on his face. "I never want to be that person."  
>"Neither do I," Cilan agreed, suddenly uncomfortable. If Nando picked up on that, he certainly didn't show it. He just twiddled his thumbs and sighed heavily.<br>"Stuff what people say. Stuff what society says, too. You're _you _and you only. Why change? There are some things about a person's personality that should never change."  
>"That you <em>can't <em>change, right?" Cilan asked timidly, a sigh escaping his own lips. Nando nodded solemly. "But what if you wanted to change- that is, rethink- or- oh, Arceus." He broke himself off and shook his head, face flushing at his own question. "Forget it."  
><em>Idiot! He'll think badly of you! Or… would he? <em>He wondered as Nando smiled again. There was no cruelty in it, especially as he placed a hand on Cilan's arm. The touch's warmth startled him, further condemning him as the flush burned deepened._  
><em>"You are who you are. You can't help it," he said quietly. There was a look in his eye that told Cilan something that he didn't expect or believe… did Nando…_ understand _him? Did he know what he was about to ask? He sat in stunned silence, hardly daring to believe it. _I'm not alone, then? _"You're not strange, Cilan. If your family love you, they'll accept that that's who you are. But the first step is accepting yourself. It'll take time but it can happen."  
>"How long did it take…you?" was all a wide eyed boy could ask, a smile tugging on his own lips at these words. "If that's okay to ask…"<br>"It is. Five years. Cilan?" he asked in return after a short laugh, suddenly embarrassed.  
>"Yes?"<br>"I'm… here for you. Promise me you won't try and prove yourself wrong. You'll only hurt yourself…" Cilan covered his hand with his own, sincerity written all over his face.  
>"I won't, my friend." Nando gave a relieved smile and placed his hand on top of the stack, eyes sparkling.<br>"Good… one more thing…"

* * *

><p>Cilan stood outside of the gym, shaking in fear. Nando squeezed his hand again, resuming his humming after a short breath. The sound and the touch eased some of the fear and he looked up at the older boy with a gratified smile on his face. The boy said nothing, only smiled back at him.<br>_You can do this,_ his eyes said. Don't back down now. _You're doing so well._  
><em>You CAN do this, <em>Cilan repeated to himself firmly, bracing himself. With a deep breath he raised his hand and knocked on the door twice. _You're going to travel with Ash…. And, _he added with a sidewards glance to Nando, _you're gonna come clean about what you are.  
>You're special.<em>


	45. FreedomShipping

_-Wide Awake- (FreedomShipping)_  
><em>Requested by: Cantarella of Odile<em>

_**...Bianca and N are now an official pairing? YES! X'D *dies happily* Sorry I haven't been on lately, a lot has been going down and I lost my spark for everything... this is probably the most personal one shot I've ever written. Hope you enjoy it!**_

* * *

><p>"<em>Daddy?"<br>"Yes, sweetie?"  
>"I don't want to grow up." Six words uttered in a voice so quiet that her father almost misses it. His face hardens and she turns away, clutching her blanket to her chin in fear. "I wanna be little forever."<br>"Now, Bianca," he sighs, tapping his heels impatiently, "we've discussed this. You have to grow up."  
>"But I don't want to," she whines with a pout. "Being old is scary."<br>"It's a part of growing up, sweetheart." Her mother chimes in, attempting to run her fingers through her precious daughter's golden locks. Bianca rips her head away though, lips still pursed. She shakes her head and stamps her feet underneath the blanket, growing increasingly angry. "You-"  
>"-I DON'T WANT TO GROW UP!" she shrieks, dropping her favorite toy onto the ground. "I only want a prince and a Ponyta!"<em>

It's funny what some people can miss, even when it's right in front of their faces. Was she really dumb?  
>That... unwanted?<p>

_No._ She shakes her head and continues to walk, hands buried deep into her pockets. She isn't unwanted. Not anymore, at least. There was someone who cared- someone who continues to care from far, far away. She still believes in that, clings to that with a passion that burns deep inside her chest. A passion that screams his name louder than anyone could believe.  
><em>N.<em> _Please, please come home..._

* * *

><p>Slowly she comes to a stop in front of an old tree and removes her hands. In one of them is a strange looking cube. Strange to some, at least. It's a complex looking thing, light in color and in weight. But it soothes her on the nights where she can't sleep- just to have a piece of <em>him <em>in her hands makes her smile. It doesn't completely take away the pain, probably never will. She doesn't expect it to. She plays idly with it for a time until her hands shake and her face distorts. She forces herself to stay upright- not an easy task when you feel as if your heart is breaking over and over again- and ignores the tears that roll down her cheeks. They sting in the cold sunset's caress, reminding her of how far she's come. She's not the silly little girl from Nuvema anymore, not inside. She's older and she hates it. She feels like an old lady despite being only nineteen. Twenty today, to be precise. She ignores the cold and steadies her breathing again, slowly unclenching her hands to reveal nasty looking marks from clutching the cube too hard.

_Oppsy daisy. I made an owwie. _She chuckles at the old voice inside her head, at the child inside of her. _Mommy! MOMMY! _Those days were so easy. Mom could fix everything- could be told everything. She never judged, always forgave. When the sheets were wet, mommy told her it was okay. When she got into fights with White, mom always listened to her side of the story first.  
>What happened to those days?<p>

_I met N. _N, with his pretty eyes and his different ways of thinking. She thought he was crazy at first! That brings another smile to her face, thinking of his appalled expression when she openly disagreed with him on his methods. They had fought so many times over that. She thought it was wrong what he was doing, he thought he was right, right and _right, _end of story. He was a king- _the_ king- who got whatever he wanted in a heartbeat. She would never believe for a second that she was exactly like that- not back then, at least. Now she sees just how similar they really were. How bratty they both were in the beginning.

* * *

><p><em>And then he kissed me. <em>An accidental thing that had changed so much, she muses whilst running her tongue over cracked lips. They'd been arguing again, over the same old thing.  
><em>"You're a dumbie, N! POKEMON WANT TO BE WITH PEOPLE!"<br>"What's a dumbie?"  
>"You're a dumbie. You and your dumb ideas... and-and your dumb hat- and- UGH!"<br>"Bianca! I demand to know what a dumbie is. Tell me. NOW!"_  
>"NO!"<br>"TELL ME... I swear, I will-" he'd pinned her against a wall and looked down at her while she refused to look up at him. His free hand had gone to her chin. She'd abruptly looked up and their lips had collided.  
>Her first kiss. His first kiss. <em>Their first kiss. <em>And it had been perfect.

"_Wh-Wha-What was that?" she finally stammers, hand flying up to her mouth. Her heart is beating eratically- what is this? Why is she blushing?- "You... did you just kiss me?"  
>"Kiss?" his voice is muffled behind his own hand, covering equally red cheeks and bright eyes. "What's a... kiss?"<br>"That..." she tries to insult him again but can't find the words. Her eyes are locked on his suddenly very green eyes and a chill runs down her spine. She can't look away and she doesn't stop him from capturing her lips again._

* * *

><p>Whenever they had touched before she'd run because she was unaware of what she felt inside of her. After the kiss it was impossible to keep them apart. They took every opportunity to meet, every meeting to kiss and spend time together. They'd come <em>here, <em>in the very depth of Pinwheel Forest, away from prying eyes and angry words. Everyone _hated _N. Especially after it was announced that he was the leader of team plasma.

_Did I really hate you?_ She ponders, staring up at the tree and looking for that familiar mark. _I don't think I did. I was just scared of growing up. _Every girl wanted a prince charming and she'd gotten hers. Their love was complex, exciting, overwhelming, scary. But she wouldn't change a thing about it. She would defend him until her last breath, love him until the sky turned red and asteroids fell from the sky. The day she kissed N was the day the curtain of childhood fell away. She loved like an adult. She missed him like an adult going through a death. He was her equal, her love, her knight in shining armour. He was perfect to her.

"Love is when..." she hesitates but she continues after his eyes implore her to, "...love is... I don't know." She blushes and feels like a child as he smiles patiently at her. _Lovingly at her? _ She can't speak again or meet his eyes. He chuckles deep in his throat and reaches for her again, pressing her head into his throat gently.  
>"Love is what we are?" he asks quietly, kissing her hair. "What we can become together?"<br>"Yeah," she agrees instantly, murmuring into his throat with her heart in her throat. She can't explain what books say about love. They don't match up to what she feels- what N feels around her. This peace, this trust, this perfection. "Gotta be."  
>"I love you." He tries, kissing her hair again. The words hit her like cold water and she jumps ,tears coming to her eyes. "Was that okay?" she doesn't respond because she's crying. He tilts her head upwards again, alarmed and anxious. "Bianca..."<br>"It's okay," she sobs after gesturing for a moment or so without words. "It's okay... because I... I love you too."

* * *

><p><em>And then he left. Prince charming left. <em>He didn't leave because he wanted to, though... but she wishes she could have at least said goodbye or known that that kiss would have been their last. That forever couldn't happen- NO! She insists mentally. Couldn't happen _HERE. _They could still have their happily ever after sometime. They belonged to each other. They were each other...

She finds the mark in the tree and drops her bag. The cube is tucked back into her pocket and she climbs into the tree, memories whirling by her. She misses his hands hoisting her up into the tree, laughs at how they both fell over the first time they tried because she'd screamed and scared him. She's been doing this part alone for five years. Doing everything alone. Trying to not go insane.

Her parents, friends and mentor never approved of their romance. NEVER. Especially Black, whom everyone thought she would marry. She did too, once.  
><em>And then I met N. <em>Everything in her life seemed to circle back to that. She couldn't love anyone else the way she did N. They'd matured together in a way she never had with Black and Cheren. She was more patient, more willing to listen, more switched on. She wasn't a ditz- or so she tries to tell herself as she nearly falls out of the tree again- any longer. She was a different Bianca. A scarred but wide awake Bianca...

* * *

><p>He watches her with his hands at his mouth, fighting back tears. She's back, again. She always came back to their spot in the end... He feels stupid for ever doubting that she wouldn't. She's so different... so unusual... so beautiful still. Different clothes- still orange though, her favorite color as he remembers- and her hat is gone. She wears glasses that are too big for her- is she trying to be something she isn't? Is she hiding what she feels too?- and looks older than when he last saw her... but she's still Bianca. She's still his lovely Bianca...<p>

She looks aimlessly around, remembering still. The tears have dried now and the sun is finally about to disappear. He never liked the night time because it was dark and foreign. It scared him more than cities did.  
>"Because I'm scared," he admitted to her once. "But with you, I'm not afraid."<br>_Oh, N..._ she looks down and stops dead in her tracks. Her heart flutters and her hands go to her mouth at the same time his do. Her body becomes an emotional wreck as she slowly climbs out of the tree and wanders over to him. Her feet have a life of their own as her heart rate accelerates... she can't stop walking. Her throat thickens as she reaches him and she stares up into the face she remembers. Into the green eyes she loves so much. She tries to say something but finds herself flinging herself into his arms like she's a child again, sobbing uncontrollably as her heart welcomes it's other half home. She smells his scent and nearly faints away as he buries his face into her hair.  
>"Bianca," he keeps saying in a choked voice, "Bianca..."<br>"I missed you," she finally chokes out, clinging onto him as tightly as she can. "N..."  
>"Bianca..." and then their lips are back together and the years disappear. She kisses him lightly, tightly, every way possible under the sun as he cradles her in his arms.<br>She hasn't felt so alive in years.


	46. CrystalShipping

_-That Should Be Me- (CrystalShipping)  
>Requested by: Zorua15.<em>

_**Songfic. Song is That Should Be Me by Justin Bieber... gotten back into a musical state of mind so feel free to start sending songs with your requests :}**_

* * *

><p><em>Everybody's laughing in my mind<br>_

All laughter stops as he walks past- or does it keep going? - And he resists the urge to spin on his heel and scowl. A few people call his name in greeting- or in scorn? - But he doesn't reply. The hall is scanned before he sighs inaudibly and continues walking, hands dug deep into his pockets. She isn't here, either. Where is she?  
>Is she with him? The mystery guy that everyone whispers about when they think he's out of earshot?<em><br>_

_Rumors spreading 'bout this other guy_

At least they have the courtesy to not do it in front of him... he thinks. The thought of Kris with someone else makes him sick to his stomach. Kris belongs to _him. _They have a future planned together, for goodness sake. It can't be true... can it?  
>Can Kris have replaced him during their time apart?<br>_  
>Do you do what you did what you<br>Did with me?  
>Does he love you the way I can?<em>

He sees her first and can't help but smile. She's gorgeous, she's beautiful... she's majestic. She's everything Suicune's trainer should be.  
>"Hello, dear," he whispers in her ear as he wraps his arms around her waist. He kisses her ear but stops as he feels her stiffen. He waits for that moment, the moment where she giggles and holds his hands in hers and he whispers all he learned today into her ear but something tells him that that moment is not happening today.<p>

_Do you do what you did what you  
>Did with me?<em>

"Oh, Eusine. Hey." She says, tone slightly awkward.

"Are you well?" he asks, puzzled. She looks healthy enough. She feels warm enough in his arms. She signs and loosens his grip, spinning to face him. The look on her face- no, the look in her beautiful eyes- sends his stomach churning but he isn't sure why. She looks... distant. Like she'd rather be elsewhere than in his arms.  
>Why?<p>

_Did you forget all the plans  
>That you made with me?<br>'cause baby I didn't  
><em>

Did they move too quickly? Did he move too slowly? The questions never leave his mind as he replays that awful moment in his head again. Watching that sweet mouth move, hearing those barely audible words and feeling himself crumple as a result.

_You said you needed a little time  
>For my mistakes<em>

"You're... you're breaking up with me?" he asks a little too loudly, incredulously. She bites her lip and looks away, clearly ashamed of something. "Why?"  
>"It just... isn't working right now," she mumbles, lowering her eyes. "I need some time to... get over things." She's always been a bad liar but he barely notices that now. He just continues to stare at her while his insides shatter. He feels heat and then coolness several times in a row and his throat becomes oddly swollen. He has a strange urge to weep at her feet but, thankfully, he remains upright.<p>

"What did I do?" he asks after several tries at speaking. She smiles sadly then and braves a look at him. The distant look is back in her eyes and she sighs quietly. "Dearest, whatever I did, I can fix-"  
>"No, Eusine. I need time," she repeats, looking at him- no, over his shoulder. He spins on his heel automatically but sees nothing but their group of friends- <em>her <em>group of friends- watching them with curious expressions on their faces. Some, like Whitney, look guilty, as if harbouring a secret. Others, like Clair, look disdainful.  
>But one boy catches his eye after Clair begins to scoff. He's hidden behind her, eyes locked onto something beyond Eusine. His face is guarded as he stands so deathly still, clearly not supposed to be seen.<br>As he turns around, he's crestfallen to see that Kris's gaze is where his was only seconds ago.  
>And she's smiling.<p>

_It's funny how you use that time  
>To have me replaced<em>

* * *

><p>He's out on a walk- a different route to the one they used to take so many times before- when he sees her again. He feels his heart constrict and throat dry as the pieces click into his head to reveal what he's missed while moping around.<p>

She's playing in the water with Suicune, dancing around like a beginner kimono girl. Her arms flail and she laughs with delight, throwing her face up towards the sky as she does so. He could smile through the pain at that. He's always liked seeing her happy and the happiness doubles whenever he sees her with Suicune. The beast prances around with her, making its own noises of delight as it splashes her with water. Suddenly though, it stops dead in its tracks and looks directly at Eusine. He freezes as the merriment fades from the beast's eyes to be replaced with- what? Guilt?- an expression he can't determine.  
>He's sure that it's guilt though. He can feel it in the air.<br>Especially with what he sees next.

_But did you think that I wouldn't see you out at the lake?  
>What you doin' to me?<em>

A figure descends from the bank, twirling a flower in his hand. _A rose. _Eusine's hand flies to his heart and he gasps. _HE _used to give Kris roses! She whirls around as the stranger's hand clasps her shoulder, startled, but her face soon turns into a look of delight as she spots the rose. Those beautiful eyes twinkle and she smiles so widely that it makes Eusine feel sick. She accepts the rose from the stranger and he smiles back at her.  
>Both have adoration in their eyes. That's <em>his <em>look, he wants to shout and scream. _That's the look she's supposed to give to me!  
><em>

_Now if you're tryin' to break my heart  
>It's working 'cause you know that<em>

_That should be me  
>Holdin' your hand<br>That should be me  
>Makin' you laugh<br>That should be me  
>This is so sad<br>_

But he can't. Instead he's forced to watch as the couple's lips meet and her free hand grabs the mysterious purple cape the man wears- the cape so similar to Eusine's own. As they break apart she smiles at him again and Eusine turns away, feeling Suicune's knowing eyes staring into his back.

_That should be me  
>(that should be me giving you flowers)<br>That should be me  
>Talking for hours that should be me, that should be me<br>That should be me_

* * *

><p>The tears sting in his eyes and he angrily brushes them away, settling onto the grass with his face in his hands. He feels so angry, so sad, so... disorientated. He can't believe what he's just witnessed. He was supposed to have a happily ever after with Kris, not Lance.<br>Lance, of all people!

_Never should've let you go  
>I never should've let you go<em>

"Hey!" the quiet voice calls and his head shoots up in spite of himself. He feels his broken heart race as he realizes that she's there, in the flesh, smiling... at a trainer on the path ahead. He swallows and inevitably glances at Lance who, to his surprise, is glancing at him.  
><em>How did he know I was here?<em>  
>He raises his eyebrow meaningfully before taking Kris's hand, further shattering poor Eusine's heart. There are no words needed to say what that action means...<br>'She's mine.'  
>Oh, how he hates him for saying that truth.<p>

Suicune saunters over to him and greets him in that wonderful voice than makes him smile before nuzzling him. Kris, still animated on the road, pays no heed. Lance turns away then, eyes downcast as Eusine sighs into Suicune's purple mane.  
>"Oh, my dear friend... it's horrible.. because you see.. <em>That should be me."<em>

_I'm never gonna let you go  
>oh-oh-oh-ohh<em>


	47. TwinLeafShipping

_-Loving Him Is Like...- (TwinLeafShipping)_  
>Requested by: guest, Awsome Flygon, Jules062497, DarkUmbreon21<p>

_**YES, I know what you're thinking. Darkie, you haven't updated in yonks and you said you were back. Sorry guys, lot going on currently and as a result, writer's block... feel free to start sending prompts as well. Trying for at least one Oneshot a week. Thanks for your patience and reviews!**_

_**The following is a OneShot to Red by Taylor Swift from the perspective of Dawn if you chose Lucas as your player.**_

* * *

><p>He's impulsive and at times ridiculous. He has firm beliefs and isn't afraid of showing them. He's wild, he's crazy and he drives me insane a lot of the time...<br>But I wouldn't have him any other way.

**Loving him is like driving a new Maserati down a dead end street**

He's an ass. I don't know why I put up with him sometimes. He can go from being normal (well, as normal as Barry can be) to a tyranitar on its period. Yes, it's possible. It's Barry after all...

**Faster than the wind****  
><strong>**Passionate as sin, ended so suddenly**

We're polar opposites. The impossible two. I try to be as level headed as I can be for the professor but it's hard when Barry's around. He's either bouncing off the walls, fining his best friend or trying to get me to come with him.  
>"Come on! Stop being a nerd and come out. What, are you scared or something?" he huffs in a whiny tone, pouting at me with smouldering blue eyes.<p>

Good Arceus. Those eyes. They make me fall deeper into them every time we're together. Every emotion he has is shown in those blue eyes, from impatience to embarrassment as he runs into me.  
>"The professor needs help. Go out with Lucas for a bit." I suggest, looking away from those consuming eyes. It doesn't last, of course. In an instant my eyes meet his again and I smile at the emotions swirling in them.<br>He's ranting but I can barely hear him. I just wait patiently for him to take a breath and lean forward.

Suddenly, he cuts himself off mid sentence and just stares at me, caught off guard. A blush mantles his cheeks as he looks at me, completely confused.  
>"You're doing it again." I tell him as he looks away like a scolded child. My hand comes up to his cheek and he flinches, bringing his eyes back to mine with a sheepish look on his face.<br>"I know..."

**Loving him is like trying to change your mind****  
><strong>**Once you're already flying through the free fall**

"...what are you looking at?!" he barks, tearing his eyes from me to stare at the cautiously approaching assistants. I lean backwards again, startled. My hand slips back to my side in an instant. "Free country. Leave us be!"  
>"We're gonna have to ask you to leave," my father says slowly, looking at me with resignation in his eyes. He doesn't know how I deal with this either. "Come back later, Barry." Barry looks insulted.<br>"Whatever!" he turns on his heel with a loud huff and storms towards the door, nose in the air. But then he pauses and looks over his shoulder at me and my heart skips a beat at the passion in his eyes. "Dawn, I'll be waiting outside. Don't keep me waiting or I'll fine you!"

* * *

><p><strong>Like the colors in autumn<strong>**  
><strong>**So bright just before they lose it all**

"I'm NOT cute! I am the opposite of cute! I'm fricking sexy," Barry insists, glaring at me. I giggle and grab his hand as he tries to shove me, entwining it with mine and catching him off guard. He stares into my eyes, lost again for an instant before continuing his rant with, "I don't even pout. You have me confused for someone else, Dawn."

...  
>"You're pouting right now, babe." His free hand flies to his mouth and he looks horrified as I burst into laughter.<br>"I'm not- OH, DAMNIT! Shut up, Dawn. Shut up." He mutters something under his breath, completely mortified as people stop and stare at him. "Just- just because you look cute when you do that whole thing with- your eyes!" I stop laughing and look at him as he tries to imitate it. There's silence as I cover my own mouth, horrified.  
>"Ha! Told you," he teases, a smile on his face as he pulls me towards him. "It does look cute though, babes."<p>

**Touching him is like realizing all you ever wanted was right there in front of you****  
><strong>**Memorizing him was as easy as knowing all the words to your old favorite song**

The day I first saw him, I thought he was stupid. I'll admit that. But then we started running into each other in the lab and on the road and I realized just how wrong (to an extent) I was. He has his moments but he's intoxicating as sin.  
>Guess it's no wonder why I started falling for him.<p>

**Fighting with him was like trying to solve a crossword and realizing there's no right answer****  
><strong>**Regretting him was like wishing you never found out love could be that strong**

Yeah, we fought a lot in the beginning. We still do sometimes. But that's us. Barry loves banter and will try for one with anyone who can keep up with him.  
>Of course, no one can. It's like trying to solve a crossword and realizing halfway through that there's no right answer.<br>It's as hopeless as trying to explain to a child how babies are made.

**Losing him was blue like I'd never known****  
><strong>**Missing him was dark grey all alone  
>Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you've never met<strong>

We've only had one incident where he physically had to leave me. He'd been upset over losing at the lake and had screamed at me to leave him be. I wouldn't, so he did. He got up and left, both of us crying in the falling snow. I thought I'd never see him again. Thoughts flew through my mind as I sat there and cried, head in my hands. Then suddenly I felt his arms around me and heard him apologize at a million miles an hour, telling me how stupid he was and how sorry he was...  
>and then he kissed me.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>But loving him was red<strong>  
><strong>Oh red burning red<strong>

His lips on mine felt amazing. For the longest time we just sat there in the snow, kissing. It was like the world was moving around just the two of us. Pure and utter perfection.  
>"I think I paid my fine now," I said quietly after we broke apart. He chuckled, touching my puffy lips affectionately.<br>"Yeah, I think you did," he admitted just as quietly, startling me. "What?" He asked, noticing my reaction.  
>"..I didn't know you had an inside voice. Shh," I mumbled as he opened his mouth to object; "now I do. And it's amazing." He smiled as I removed his fingers from my lips and kissed them, never once looking away. "Just like the rest of you."<br>"I know," he boasts, grinning like an idiot. "Thanks anyway, though."  
>"You're an ass."<br>"Bitch, please. I'm Barry."  
>"You're impossible..."<p>

**And that's why he's spinning round in my head****  
><strong>**Comes back to me burning red****  
><strong>**Yeah yeah**

**Cause love is like driving a ne****w Maserati down a dead end street**


	48. AkatsukiShipping

_**I'm back. I couldn't stay away. Miss me?**_

_'Just Walk Away' (Akatsukishipping)  
>Requested by: Ship freak<em>_  
>Song: Walk Away by The Script.<em>

* * *

><p>"Go."<br>"But I-  
>"-no. Listen to me. For once in your life, listen to me, Dawn. Get out of here now before it's too late." He saw her hesitation and sighed impatiently, continuing to shake her shoulders as she looked over his own. "I don't want you caught up in any of this. You've got to leave, right now."<p>

"I'm not going anywhere, Cyrus..." The soft tremble in her voice honestly made him hate her a little bit. She glared at him, determination shining out of her every particle as she stood her ground. "Not without you."

_I don't know why she's with me__  
>I only brought her trouble since the day she met me<em>_  
>If I was her, by now I would have left me<em>_  
>I would have walked away<em>_  
>But now I've broken away<em>

* * *

><p>Being with her was… wrong on so many levels. He didn't return the feelings she'd somehow obtained in the past six months, couldn't if he tried his hardest. He was Cyrus, the creator of a new world, the pioneer of a new generation. There was no space or time to allow ridiculous feelings to interfere with his master plans.<br>**Especially **love. _Love. _It was a four letter word, nothing more.  
>Yet Dawn was certain that she felt it in his name.<br>Silly, stupid little girl.

_Somehow instead she forgave me__  
>She said a woman's got to do what she's got to do<em>_  
>Even if it means she denied herself the truth<em>

She was eighteen as opposed to his twenty six years of life. He was nearly ten years her senior for arceus's sake. He shouldn't even be seen with her. All he'd done so far in the past six months was bring her grief in the form of Looker's police services.

"A woman's gotta do what she's gotta do." She'd told him once after she'd caught him trying to leave. "If that means keeping you safe and out of custody, so be it. You nearly died down there, Cyrus…" her concern made him pause; the slight touch of her hand on his sleeve wasn't felt.

"Why do you care?" he asked gruffly, seeing an odd mixture of feelings in her eyes. "Mew, Dawn, I tried to kill you…" she shook her head and laughed softly at him, something that puzzled him. "What?"  
>"You didn't succeed, did you? I'm still here." And indeed, the brat was.<br>The stupid, naïve little twit she was.

_Cause when you're in too deep you wake up when it's too late,__  
>You've fallen in love in the worst way<em>_  
>And if you don't go now then you'll stay<em>

She was hooked on him for reasons he didn't understand. He'd always been gruff and frank with her, always knocking back her romantic gestures before they were halfway done or out of her mouth. He hated her and she knew it. Yet here she was now, in trouble for lying to the police about his location and refusing to go anywhere.

"You're an idiot for this," he replied gruffly with a sigh, giving in as she gripped his hand tightly. For once, he didn't pull away or rebuke her with nasty remarks. He just let her have the pleasure of touching him until the police came…  
>…or so she thought. She didn't know him as much as she claimed to.<p>

_Cause I'll never let you leave, never let you breathe__  
>Cause if you're looking for heaven, baby it sure as hell ain't me<em>

"Go into the next room, then. There's a little something there I was going to use if any problems were to arise… you'll know what to do when you see it."

_So walk away_

_[Walk away]__  
>Walk away, oh<em>_  
>Save yourself from the heartache, oh<em>_  
>Go now before it's too late<em>_  
>So walk away<em>_  
>[Walk away]<em>

She walked to the next room after a quick nod, gripping his hand as tightly as she could in her own little one.  
>"I won't let you go down alone," she whispered into his ear, giving his hand a final squeeze before she left.<br>Oddly enough, he felt honored… and guilty for what was to happen next.

_Walk away, oh__  
>Save yourself from the heartache, oh<em>_  
>Go now before it's too late<em>_  
>But still she stays<em>

She's standing in the heart of darkness

_Saying, 'I know you got a soul even though you're heartless'_

* * *

><p>"There's something in there, I know it!" she replied stubbornly to the professor, arms crossed as she spoke about the tall, emotionless man standing behind a shelf. He listened hard, unsure of exactly why he hadn't walked away already. What she said really didn't or shouldn't concern him. Nothing but his dream should… "He isn't heartless…"<p>

"Dawn, he's trying to destroy Sinnoh. How is that not heartless?" Professor Rowan asked, voice clipped as he gestured to the library windows. "All of this… will be gone. Everything. He's kidnapped and tortured the guardians of the lake. He's an evil man you shouldn't be wasting your time on, dear. He's… evil," The professor repeated kindly, softening at the visible sinking of the girl's shoulders. Cyrus crept closer, intrigued by what he was hearing. "Just let him go. He isn't worth it…."  
>For a child, certainly not. Her emotions are so wasteful. So pointless… yet she enjoys the time in the darkness that I allow.<br>Why?

_How could any woman in their right mind be so blind,__  
>To find something this safe<em>_?__  
>Instead of walking with me she should have walked away<em>_  
><em>

"But I trust him." She muttered as the good professor walked away. "I trust him."  
>"Which is a romantic thing to do but it's so stupid." She jumped at the sound of his voice and abruptly turned, nearly falling through the window in the process. He sighed and shook his head as she righted herself, a huge, embarrassed smile lighting up her face as she saw him.<br>"I was standing up for you-"  
>"-I know… I really wish you wouldn't."<p>

_She finds color in the darkest places__  
>She finds beauty in the saddest of faces<em>_  
>For such a groovy and headstrong city girl<em>_  
>Could've had the world but she's fallen in love in the worst way<em>_  
>And if you don't go now then you'll stay<em>

She stayed...

* * *

><p>She could have had anyone yet she chose to fall in love with him. She shone like the single star that would have lit up the sky after Sinnoh's destruction. She was as stubborn as the grunts he'd led, with all of the willpower that he possessed. She was a dangerous, fragile creature that wasn't aware of how much strength she really had.<br>She was just a woman in love with someone who could never return it.  
>And by now he was feeling a little sorry for her. He had to get her out of here before she got into more trouble…<p>

_Cause I'll never let you leave, never let you breathe_

He met her in the corridor, pokeball lodged loosely in her hand. There was a confused look on her face as she looked up at the sound of his footsteps. He knew that the 'demon' of the other world cared for her in a way that he couldn't… wouldn't.

"What's this for?" she asked, unaware of what it contained. He had taken the liberty of swapping the ball in her belt with one of his own while she slept peacefully in his room.

His room. He wasn't sure how that had come about but he'd felt that random pang of guilt when he'd seen her whimpering in her sleep. The sight of that little hand gripping onto that pillow had made him act in a way he couldn't understand. So there she lay each night, undisturbed as he pondered his past mistakes. He'd never touched her, never really wanted to. Lust was another stupid emotion he didn't see the point of having. She had a body that functioned similar to his own. That was it…

_Cause if you're looking for heaven, baby it sure as hell ain't me__  
><em>

…but her mouth seemed to act in ways that differentiated from his own.

_So walk away__  
>[Walk away]<em>_  
>Walk away, oh<em>_  
>Save yourself from the heartache, oh<em>_  
>Go now before it's too late<em>

He pulled away from her at the sound of knocking at the door, another strange feeling mangling his chest at the sensations. She looked at him with surprisingly understanding eyes and nodded slowly, staring once at the door before looking back at him. She was ready. He wasn't.  
>"Dawn, open up now before I do it… I don't want to but I know he's in there. Please, just open up." Looker pleaded as he knocked. "I don't want to do it, Dawn. I can say you were influenced…" she opened her mouth to respond but he quickly covered it with his own. She made a noise of surprise, caught between sinking into the surprise kiss or struggling to face the end of her freedom.<p>

Silently, he took the pokeball from her hand she decided to struggle, pressing her hand against his chest and pushing hard on it. He broke apart and took a final look at the girl he'd spent the last six months with, struggling with what he had to do next. She saw his look and stared at him wide eyed, frightened now. She'd never seen him hesitant before. Not once until now…

* * *

><p>"Cyrus?"<br>"Go with Giratina." Betrayal lit up her face as she heard him say those fateful words, recoiling away from him as the pokemon appeared. "Dawn, listen to me. Please!" he asked as she opened her mouth and reached for him. "You can't stay here, not for this. Please, just go." Pain filled him at the sight of her comprehension of his words, at the pain filled eyes that began to swim as giratina stood patiently beside her. "Please."

"But I'll never see you again," she whispered, reaching for him again. "I'm not going anywhere!"  
>"Dawn! Come on," Looker called again, knocking becoming harder as he pressed his weight against the door. "I know you're in there…."<p>

"You will. Soon enough. But not now, not here. Please, just do this for me." She nodded reluctantly, tears beginning to rain from her eyes as Cyrus stared the tall god-like pokémon beside her down. "Take her away from here."

_So walk away__  
>[Walk away]<em>_  
>Walk away, oh<em>_  
>Save yourself from the heartache, oh<em>_  
>Go now before it's too late<em>_  
>But still she stays<em>_  
>[Oh, yeah]<em>_  
><em>

He held her hand willingly as giratina began to disappear back into its own world, holding her gaze for as long as he could. He doubted she would ever forgive him for this and part of him didn't want her to. He'd hurt her yet again… but, this time, it was for her own good. She wasn't a criminal like he was. She was a girl with her life ahead of her.  
>"I'm sorry." He stated as she stepped towards the portal.<p>

"I forgive you." She replied simply, holding herself bravely as the door began to give way. "I- I'll see you soon, right?"  
>"Of course. I'll know where to find you." Sugar coated lies to prevent her from resisting again. He couldn't know where she was, not for a long time. With the length of the crimes he'd committed, soon would be in a time when she'd already have forgotten him, with any luck. They just couldn't be.<br>Not now, not ever.  
>But she could never know that or she'd be as condemned as he was. He didn't want that to ever happen to her.<p>

_But still she stays_  
><em>[Oh, yeah]<em>

_I don't know why she's with me_

_I only brought her trouble since the day she met me_

She smiled at him as he left, giving him a strange satisfaction. She was going on to a safer, happier life without him. Parting did hurt, but it was made easier with that knowledge.  
>Even if 'soon' was never coming.<p>

* * *

><p>"She's not here." He said as Looker looked wildly around the room. "She wasn't here at all."<br>"Maybe she was right about you," Looker replied quietly, a mixture of understanding and pity crossing his features as he held out his cuffs. "She really did care, didn't she?"  
>"She did."<br>"And she doesn't know you're not coming back, does she?"  
>"Nope. I couldn't do that to the kid. She wouldn't have left otherwise…"<p>

"A cruel game to play…" Looker sighed, shaking his head. "Poor girl…"  
>"It was one that I didn't enjoy playing." A hard truth to admit as Looker paused in his cuffing. "Don't go looking for her. She was never involved in any of this. It's the least I can do for her…" Looker nodded then, wisely biting his tongue as the leader of Team Galactic was finally caught.<br>"I won't say anything."  
>"Thank you."<br>_  
><em>

_If I was her, by now I would have left me__  
>I would have walked away<em>

**"I still forgive you."**  
><strong>"I really wish you wouldn't."<strong>  
><strong>"I've tried, Cyrus…"<strong>  
><strong>"No, you haven't. You're still the hopeless girl from Sinnoh. Why are you still here?"<strong>  
><strong>"Because I still love you…. And I'm not leaving you. Not again."<strong>  
><strong>"Alright. Your decision. I love you, too."<strong>


	49. ShiroShipping

Timeless _(ShiroShipping)_  
>Song: Timeless – Reece Mastin<p>

_**WARNING. This is a femslash.**_

_**Also. If you want a certain shipping to be included in my story, PLEASE CHECK TO SEE IF I HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE IT BEFORE SUGGESTING IT.**_

_**Thanks.**_

* * *

><p>It was another cold night in Nuvema town. Bianca sat in bed with a cup of hot chocolate, staring forlornly outside of her window. She couldn't bear to shut the curtains, not yet.<p>

_Deeper  
>Falling deeper<br>Can't be rescued from your eyes_

White had always liked the combination of cold nights and stargazing. She'd made it a routine of hers to sit in bed with hot chocolate after a night out on the roof. She'd always been as restless as Bianca… those nights were the only times that she saw the girl grow quiet and still. Normal, she'd liked to joke.  
>But those quirks of hers made her more special than the 'normal' people. Bianca had always said that.<p>

_Restless  
>So damn restless<br>I won't let you off my mind_

It had become their tradition to sit there at nights. To spend every sleep over out there or to sneak to the other's house to do so. There was much giggling and shh-ing as the two girls snuck around, feeling almost invincible as they crept past their sleeping parents.

White always looked so triumphant after every success.  
>"We did it," she'd breathe, eyes shining in the soft light as she gripped Bianca's hand. "We survived."<br>She felt her own eyes watering now as the hole in her heart began to reopen at those memories.

_Timeless  
>You stand before me<br>Holding heaven in your eyes_

* * *

><p>She'd been so filled with life. A happy girl, right since the start… or so she'd thought. Bianca had never seen her without a smile or ever known that she'd struggled to keep that smile on her face. She'd never seen the smile fall as she looked at herself in the mirror's reflection each night or wiped away the tears that fell as she counted the flaws that she saw. She never knew until the very end about what N had done to her, or what he'd taken from her.<p>

But why? Why hadn't she been told what her best friend was going through?  
>That's what best friends were for, right?<p>

_I  
>I'm not afraid<br>I can't explain the way I'm feeling now  
><em>

She missed her and couldn't stop herself from showing that. People had tried to talk to her but they just didn't help. They didn't understand the hole that White had left behind or what it felt like to lose someone that you held dear.  
>Someone that you'd been falling in love with but had never told. She wished now that she'd had the courage to say something… maybe that would have kept White here.<br>She was as much to blame as N was for letting White down.

_You  
>You fell from grace<br>Without a trace  
>My heart's stopped bleeding now<em>

She'd seen the marks that N had left on her neck but had never said anything. She'd only looked at it, feeling incredibly insecure, hurt and out of place. She knew they were from N by the way White acted. She didn't like N and didn't believe for a second that he had any feelings for her.  
>N was incapable of love, everyone had argued. He doesn't love. He's not a human, White.<br>She wished she'd joined those arguments. Again, maybe White would still be here instead of a million miles away.

_Patience,  
>Losing patience<br>I just want you by my side_

N was gone now, gone as far as White had gone. He would never know about what had happened to her, even if he wished to know. It wasn't his right to know, anyway. He truly hadn't cared for White. He'd abandoned her right when she really needed him. When she realized what he was and had tried to get him to 'come back to her'.  
>She'd looked like a ghost of herself before the incident. Ironic, considering what had happened to her.<p>

_Trust me  
>Why won't you trust me?<br>Just take my hand tonight_

White hadn't trusted her enough to keep the 'N' secret and that had hurt a lot to realize. She kinda guessed why she hadn't told her mother or professor Jupiter or even Cheren. But they were best friends! Best friends until the end… she had always been there for her. Even when she was scared and trying to figure herself out. If White had ever rang her crying, Bianca would have been there in a heartbeat. If White had told her that she was having those thoughts, Bianca would have gotten rid of them. But she'd never had the chance to prove herself. And she never really would again.

_Beautiful  
>You're so beautiful<br>You don't even realize_

She hadn't needed to lose all of that weight or 'try to improve herself'- she had been beautiful just the way she was. And she always would be in Bianca's memory. She couldn't hate her for what she'd done. Not now, not ever. She was starting to see how hard it was to cling to something when your heart was ripping out of your chest. When you were losing the fight and saw no reason to attempt to win it.  
>She'd waved the white flag without a proper goodbye.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>He's gone…"<br>"He's gone. That preposterous, idiotic-"  
>"-Cheren, that's enough. He's gone now. He's always going to be gone."<strong>_

_**She'd turned to face White but White hadn't been there. Confusion had hit her before panic as she glanced around, thinking maybe that White had gone to see her mom. Which was fair enough, considering all that had happened… she squeaked as a sharp looking piece of metal fell down from the roof and looked up to see a damaged roof…  
>It looked really pretty even though it was broken. Just like White.<strong>_

_**"Where's White?" that had come from Cheren's lips, not hers.  
>"I don't know," she had confessed, turning to face him. He'd gone strangely pale and appeared to be frozen. "Cheren?" she asked, staring at him. She felt her own panic rise as he'd mouthed 'no' and ran towards the edge of the great castle, holding onto the edges like he was unable to stand.<br>"No," Professor Juniper had said then, sounding so faint that Bianca had to wheel around and stare at her. She was as white as Cheren, almost completely bloodless as a grim faced Alder held her upright.  
>"No…"<strong>_

"_**White?" Bianca had asked her stupidly, tears welling up in her eyes as she saw the professor's eyes glisten. "Where's White?!" No one had spoken as she'd stumbled over to Cheren, lost in her own confusion. "WHITE!" she called frantically as Cheren grabbed her wrist. "WHITE!"  
>She saw a flicker of pink – it had to be her! – and ran towards it, Cheren's grip falling limply by his side as she ran towards it.<br>"This whole thing is coming down!" she heard Alder croak dimly in the background as she ran towards White. "We need to go!"**_

"_**WHITE! We gotta go! C'mon!" Bianca cried urgently, spinning around as she looked for her best friend. "WHITE!"  
>"Bianca! We need to go!" Alder yelled. She felt herself be lifted into the air and began to thrash, tears pouring down her face as the anxiety spiked.<br>"NO! NOT WITHOUT WHITE… she's still in here!" she begged as Alder took her away from that precious flash of pink. "PLEASE!"**_

"_**She's not here… She's already gone, Bianca. She… she jumped." Alder's voice faltered as Bianca looked up to see White's face for the last time. She reached for her as White held out her hands, tears pouring down her face. Bianca screamed and screamed but White refused to come. She smiled and blew her a kiss goodbye as the roof fell in. That was the last thing that Bianca could remember…**_

_I remember the day  
>When I first saw your face<br>The way you smiled and just walked away_

* * *

><p>She sat on her roof, tears pouring anew as she remembered her best friend's death. It had been her fault. She hadn't screamed loud enough, hadn't fought enough.<br>White hadn't trusted her…  
>White never would trust her now.<p>

"It wasn't your fault." She jumped at the whisper and span to see White sitting beside her. "And you won't lose me, not really." The soft smile on her face made Bianca jump forwards… before realizing that she couldn't hold White again. The pain retuned in a flash as she began to cry anew and White frowned, reappearing in front of her. She looked on the verge of tears herself.

"I'm sorry," they both said at once, just like they had in childhood.  
>"It was my fault."<br>"No, it was my fault!"  
>"Shh. It was my fault, and you know it." White returned, holding out a pearly white hand and placing it onto Bianca's. The feeling was like being drenched in water and Bianca began to shiver violently. "I love you, Bi. And I'm always, always gonna be here, okay? I promised until the end."<br>"But it's not the same without you…"  
>"And it never will be, Bibi. But I'm here right now, aren't I?" she offered a smile as Bianca sat upright.<br>"I love you." Bianca said for the first time, sniffling as White placed an arm around her shoulder.  
>"I know, babe. And I love you, too… even in death."<p>

_Timeless  
>You stand before me<br>Holding heaven in your eyes._


	50. JadeShipping

Dirty Little Secret _(JadeShipping)_  
>Requested by: zero . slash . one<p>

_**ANGEL, C'MON AND WRITE SOMETHING THAT ISN'T DEPRESSING OR A SONG FIC. DAMN, GIRL.**_

…_**if these have been your thoughts as of late, I am sorry. I still have a lot going on and writing is the only real way I can get it out. **_

_**Enough about me, here's a (hopefully) funny entry about the female Blue and Yellow from the manga. FEMSLASHH AHEADDDD. You know the drill.**_

* * *

><p>All was quiet as Yellow began to stir. Not a spearow or a pidgey could be heard tweeting as she slowly opened her eyes, blinking multiple times as she made a funny face.<p>

"Good morning." Her eyes suddenly snapped open to see a pair of amused blue eyes staring into hers- into her soul! – and bit her lip, suddenly anxious. Blue had seen her funny face. Would she make fun of her for that? Would she still like her? She took a deep breath as Blue suddenly frowned, becoming concerned as she watched Yellow begin to break down. "Yels?"

"G-good morning," Yellow stammered, shuddering as Blue touched her hair. She instinctively closed her eyes at the touch and let out her intake of breath, feeling the stress fly out of her. "Did ya sleep well, Blue?"  
>"I did." A short reply but one that was so close to her ear that Yellow gulped, heart beat racing a million miles an hour. She found herself biting her lip again as Blue let out a breathtakingly sexy chuckle, one that sent a million shivers down her spine. "We both slept well last night…"<p>

_Last night. _Yellow shivered with a new level of emotion now as she opened her eyes again to timidly look at her girlfriend –her GIRLFRIEND! That was so so weird for Yellow to even comprehend!-, who lay there propped on her elbow with a smirk on her face. It was a flirty one as per usual but there was a soft tenderness there as she continued to stroke the blond locks.

"It… it was good," Yellow agreed quietly after a short pause, smiling as she looked away. "I've never…"  
>"I know, sweetie. And that's what made it so special." Blue enthused just as quietly. "You were really, really good."<br>"Better than Red?" she looked up in time to see Blue make an exaggeratedly disgusted face and burst into laughter. Blue shuddered mockingly before giving Yellow one of her famous, sultry looks.  
>"EW! Let's not even go there." Blue proclaimed with a toss of her hair. "Yeah, you were a LOT better than Red. He was like kissing wet cardboard in the rain!" Yellow didn't exactly understand that metaphor but nodded regardless, as she was expected to do. When Blue was telling a story, she usually didn't like to have to explain herself. She got all mad then. Pouty as well. She looked really cute when she pouted but got sulky as well.<br>Oh, Blue.

"Yuck, cardboard!" Yellow groaned dramatically, giggling as her hand flew to her head. "How did you manage that one?"  
>"The usual way," Blue replied breezily, enjoying the attention, "sent him on his damn way in a hurry. BAH. I can taste the cardboard now…" her voice suddenly trailed off as her eyes latched onto something that Yellow couldn't see. Her eyes suddenly widened as the look vanished off of her face. What replaced it was something that Yellow had never seen before… embarrassment. It sent alarm bells running through her head as Blue continued to stare, a small smile lighting up her beautiful features as Yellow began to worry.<br>"What? What is it?" She swiped her face, beginning to worry again as Blue didn't answer. "Tell me!"

"Babe, don't freak out, but um… go and look at your neck," Blue suggested in a strange voice, amusement suddenly breaking into her embarrassment. It appeared that she was holding back something- a giggle?!- as she gestured towards the bathroom. It only made Yellow more nervous. She didn't like this look in Blue's eyes at all!

"Why? What's there?" she sat up and tried to look; only getting a giggle out of the brunette lying next to her. "BLUE! TELL ME!"  
>"Go and see for yourself instead of freaking! It's nothing too bad," Blue replied once her giggles had settled. Yellow felt ready to tear her hair out as she flew out of bed, hand pathetically holding onto her neck as she ran for the bathroom. She expected to feel something gross, like a string shot or drool or just something yuck, but didn't feel much… except oddly sore.<p>

Sore… something clicked in the back of her mind but she didn't stop to think about it. She only continued to jog down the hall, nearly crashing into the shower in the process. She hastily got back up and stood upright, frowning at her pale and scared reflection as she looked at herself.  
>"Blue! There's nothing wrong with" – she gasped then, lost for words as Blue's implications hit her – "OH, GEEZ. BLUE, WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she screeched, staring at her neck in horror. Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared at some odd marks on the side of her neck. They were red, blue and purple and didn't look too good. When she touched them, they hurt an awful lot. Tears welled up in her eyes as she let out a childlike wail, suddenly confused by what was going on. "Am I dying?"<p>

"No, you psyduck." Blue chuckled from the doorframe. Yellow turned on her heel to stare accusingly at her, eyes narrowed as she protectively covered her neck with her hands. "You're not dying. Those are hickeys. You know what those… you don't know what those are?" she corrected herself, shaking her head slightly as Yellow let out a sob._ Blue, you 'psyduck'. You're talking to Yellow here. _ "Honey, it's just bruises."  
>"You beat me up? Why?" Blue felt ready to beat herself into the doorframe as Yellow jumped to conclusions. She subconsciously backed away from her then, nearly hysterical as she shook her head. "Why?"<p>

_Blue, be patient, _Blue thought as Yellow continued to stare at her. She was torn between giggling hysterically and getting pissed off… an odd mixture. But, then again… this WAS Yellow she was talking about. So this was really nothing new.  
>"I didn't beat you up," Blue promised, trying to hold back laughter as Yellow suddenly look relieved. "Well, um, at least not with my hands." Yellow looked beyond lost by now, shocked back into silence as she turned to stare back into the mirror. Her soft lips parted as her eyes darted back to Blue's face, looking for some kind of answer to the questions at hand.<br>_After three years of friendship with someone like me, you REALLY think she would have learned this by now. Arceus, _Blue thought somewhat huffily, somewhat relieved as Yellow's eyebrows furrowed. She was in deep thought now, trying to solve the crime for herself. She looked mighty cute doing it…

_The sharp intake of breaths as her heartbeat began to race. She was so so nervous as she looked up at the older brunette girl… but felt strangely safe as she gave her a small smirk. She bit her lip and clenched her fists as Blue leaned into her… _

Yellow shuddered suddenly as the realization hit her. She put one hand to her face as her cheeks went scarlet, heartbeat thudding away as she began to remember things. She looked away from Blue, suddenly shy as her free hand traced the marks on her neck.

_How did I forget that? Arceus, I'm stupid, _Yellow thought sheepishly, shuddering as the memory of a sudden sharp pain entered her brain. She remembered gasping as the teeth connected with her skin before they were gone, replaced by the feeling of a warm tongue leaving wet patches. She shuddered again, this time with a new feeling as she heard Blue walk towards her. Her head snapped up as Blue wrapped an arm around her… and then a giggle escaped from her throat. The giggle turned into fully fledged laughter before she knew it, laughter she couldn't seem to stop. She laughed as she fell into Blue's arms, nearly hysterical again as Blue joined in. The two girls stood there laughing for a time, both unable to stop until the tears ran down their cheeks.

"I'm an idiot," Yellow finally choked, leaning precariously onto the sink as Blue began to sober up. "I'm a ninny, I swear."  
>"You're not a nincompoop," Blue scolded between breaths, smiling serenely at her regardless. "These things… they just…." The giggles were renewed at that, Yellow begging for 'no more' as she clung to the sink's edge. "They just happen," Blue finally finished breathlessly; stepping forward to wrap her arms around the smiling blond's face. "And I'm glad it happened."<p>

"Same," a shy Yellow replied, leaning back into her girlfriend's arms. "Will- will it happen again?" Blue got her cheeky look on then, something that sent Yellow's already emotion beaten heart into another frenzy as she watched Blue lean back into her neck. She shuddered and closed her eyes at the sensation of Blue's breath on her neck, a feeling that she didn't think she would forget anytime soon.  
>"Maybe," Blue said mysteriously, shooting Yellow a wink that nearly made her faint then and there. "Maybe, if you be my best friend and get Red back for me."<br>"Whaddaya need me to do?"  
>"That's my girl."<p> 


End file.
